


Second Semester Celly (2020 Rewrite)

by maxiedear



Series: The Celly of a Chirper [2]
Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, College Hockey, Fluff and Smut, Hockey AU, Other, Platonic Cuddling, Platonic Male/Male Relationships, Platonic Relationships, Polyamory, Self-Indulgent, Self-Insert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-10
Updated: 2020-06-17
Packaged: 2020-06-25 14:49:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 21,978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19747924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maxiedear/pseuds/maxiedear
Summary: New Year’s Day has come and gone, and the Berkian Dragons have returned to the Hockey House





	1. New Year, New Skates

New Year’s Day has come and gone, and the Berkian Dragons have returned to the Hockey house. Winter break wasn’t over, but with the upcoming season starting soon, practices, scrimmages, and group work outs were already starting. At the first group practice, Hiccup has announcements to make.

“As some of you may already know, we’ve got a new manager-in-training joining us today,” he says excitedly. The team looks confused, not seeing anyone new. “They’ve been an honorary member for a while and finally decided to take the plunge. Everyone, welcome Mattie to the team!” I stand next to him and the team cheers, excited that I finally decided to officially become a member. Gerdi and Snotlout fist bump, proud that I realized that I’ll be able to handle it.

“Now I know everyone is excited already, but I have one more announcement to make,” Hiccup says as he calms the crowd. “We have a new international student arriving in a week, and they will be joining the team as well. We expect you all to behave and welcome him when he arrives. Its not often we have exchange students joining us, but this one has some hockey experience already and is eager to start playing.”

Gerdi and Astrid lead drills as Hiccup tells me more about the responsibilities of being a manager, but tells me not to worry too much since he and Astrid will be doing most of the work. He assures me that I’ll learn along the way, and based on how well I mesh with the team already, I shouldn’t run into any problems. I’m glad I have them to lean on while I learn the ropes, as well as Snotlout and Gerdi to help me out as well. I also realize Gerdi will be graduating in a few months, and a new captain will be elected. Hiccup, Astrid, and Fishlegs will be graduating a year after, and my heart becomes heavy. I’m thankful to have three more semesters with them, but I know time will fly by.

“Do you have your own skates?” Astrid says as she makes her way back to me.

“I actually don’t. I haven’t had skates since middle school, and those ones were for figure skating,” I reply.

“We should go out and get some,” she says happily. “Its important that they fit correctly and are heat formed to your feet. It really makes a difference in how long you can stand having them on.”

“That sounds good to me. If I’m going to be using them for the next three years, I would like them to be comfortable.”

“Let’s all go together,” Hiccup suggests. “I’m sure Fishlegs and Snotlout would like to look around too, and the twins just like to tag along.” He posts in the gang’s group chat so we all can agree on a day after practice is over. I’m excited to spend time with everyone, since not everyone was on campus before New Year’s. After practice, I head back to the Berk Hockey House with Snotlout and Fishlegs.

“I’m so happy you agreed to be a manager,” Fishlegs tells me. “Having all of my friends in one place is really great.”

“I’m glad I even have friends,” I say sheepishly. “I wasn’t much of anything in high school, but now I’ve found a place I fit in. It makes me feel really good, like everything is back on track.”

“We’re happy to have you, Mattie,” he replies.

🏒 🏒 🏒 🏒 🏒

A few days later we’re on our way to the specialized hockey equipment store. Snotlout is driving with me in the passenger seat and the twins in the back, with Hiccup, Astrid, and Fishlegs riding in Astrid’s car. The shop was a short drive to the city, but the four of us still blast music and joke around. When we reach the shop the rest of us meet up and start browsing. Since I didn’t know what exactly I was looking for, Snotlout took my hand and led me to the skate section.

“Don’t worry babe, I’ll help you find a good pair,” he tells me as I sit down on one of the benches. There were so many different skates and varying price points, so I tell him to stick to the more affordable pairs. He nods and starts examining the walls for an appropriate pair for someone who isn’t worried about speed or maneuverability. Since I wasn’t going to be playing, comfort was all I cared about. A store clerk stops by to ask if we need any help, and Snotlout starts asking for recommendations right away. He tells the clerk what is needed and what isn’t, and they pull a few pairs off the shelf.

I try on a few pairs to find the correct size and decide on a lightweight but supportive pair. Snotlout tells me that they will get put in a special oven before getting laced up and formed to my feet and ankles so I won’t have any [pain when I wear them](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMzHcKNDgZ4). As the skates bake, we browse the rest of the store. Ruffnut and Tuffnut are looking at the apparel section, Fishlegs is over in the medical support section perusing the different tapes and braces, and Hiccup and Astrid are discussing new drills in front of the training equipment.

“I didn’t realize how much [equipment and clothing](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eY3AEhBnkMk) goes into hockey,” I say to Snotlout. “Do you really wear all of this stuff?”

“Well, yeah, I guess. We have to protect ourselves and keep warm enough to not be cold, but cool enough to not overheat. It’s a pain to put on, but when you’re rammed into a wall or knocked over, you’re glad you were padded,” he explains. “We don’t always put everything on for drills, but even then, you have to support your joints.”

“That makes sense. There’s so many options, too.”

“I guess everyone has their own needs and tastes. Fishlegs needs more padding than I do since he’s a goalie, but my pads have to be lighter than his.”

I nod along as he explains the differences between each piece and why it matters, impressed by his awareness of each one. We check on how everyone is doing and chat amongst ourselves, browsing through the shop together. Snotlout picks out a new under shirt that is supposed to be cooling while keeping his muscles warmed for himself, and its time for me to have my new skates molded. The clerk laces them properly so everything fits correctly, and when they’re done cooling the skates feel comfortable and supportive. Everyone makes their purchases and heads back to where we parked.

“Thank you, everyone,” I tell them. “I wouldn’t have known where to go or what to get, let alone what was good quality. It means a lot to me that you were willing to come all the way out here just for me.”

“Its better to be comfortable than to have made the wrong choice,” Astrid tells me. “It was nice to spend an afternoon all together.”

“Plus, we got to get some new stuff,” says Tuffnut. “Look at this totally not overpriced headband and glove set!”

“We need to find something to eat, like, twenty minutes ago,” Ruffnut groans. “I think my stomach is eating itself.”

We all laugh at the sudden outburst, but agree to eat. Fishlegs finds a nearby pizza place called Bucket O’ Mulch, so we all head there. The seven of us practically inhale three large pizzas after realizing how hungry we all really were. Tuffnut and Snotlout order a pizza named after the place, ‘The Bucket O’ Mulch Pizza’, which is piled high with every topping the shop has. Amazingly, but not too surprisingly, they finish the whole thing. We all have a great time eating and laughing together for the first time since before break. We talk about what happened over break, how each of us spent Snoggletog, and how surprised everyone was that Snotlout brought me to the aquarium. Apparently after the last time went badly, he said he wasn’t doing it again. It made my heart swell to know he changed his mind for me.

Well after finishing the pizzas, its decided that it’s time to go home. The gang gets in the same vehicles they came in, ready to turn in after the long day. After dropping Ruffnut and Tuffnut at their apartment, Snotlout and I return to the BH. I show off my new skates to some of the team, and decide it’s time to cool down for the night. We’re both tired from the pizza and excitement, and cuddle into bed together.

“Thank you, again,” I tell him. “I know I already did, but still.”

“You’re welcome, sweetie,” he responds. “Besides, who else would I impress with my extensive knowledge of hockey gear?

“Is that all I’m here for?” I laugh.

“Maybe,” he grins. I smack his arm, and he laughs.

“Fine, fine. You’re also here to be amazed by my big muscles.” I groan, but smile anyways, knowing it was at least a little bit true. When the two of us settle down, we’re asleep in no time, wrapped in each other’s arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout-out to Coach Jeremy on YouTube for having such great informational videos. He's a great guy, and if you're interested in learning more about hockey, you should check out his channel! 
> 
> Don't forget to bookmark, comment, and kudos!


	2. Charming, Charismatic, Chirper

At practice the next week, Hiccup brings a new face into the locker room. The man is tall and muscular, easily one of the biggest people on the team. Hiccup gathers everyone around for introductions.

“Okay everyone, this is our new international student,” he says. “He’ll introduce himself, and then I’ll introduce everyone else. Please, be nice.”

“My name is Eret Eretson, don’t ask about the name. I’m the best player where I’m from, so don’t be surprised when I show you how its done,” he says with pride. Hiccup just sighs. “I’m excited to get started playing with you all.” The team claps when he is finished, and Eret bows.

“Now that that’s out of the way, I’ll introduce some of the more important members of the group,” Hiccup says. “You know me, and this is Astrid, my co-manager. Mattie is our manager-in-training, and George is the team captain. Everyone calls him Gerdi, and for some reason Astrid and I allow them to call us Hiccstrid, as if we’re one person.” As Eret shakes everyone’s hands, a few of the players get up to introduce themselves to him. Fishlegs greets him excitedly, in a similar way he greeted me when we first met. Eret is confused by the three Jonseys, but gets through everyone else fine.

“Just so you know, I’m the most muscular of everyone here,” Snotlout says when its his turn. Astrid, Hiccup, and I all face palm at the same time. None of us were surprised he said it, just surprised he opened with it. “I’m fast, charming, and charismatic, too.”

“I thought we agreed that it was ‘charming, charismatic, chirper’,” I smile.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m charming, charismatic, and a great chirper,” he says as he smirks at me. “And the manager-in-trainings devoted boyfriend,” he adds with a wink.

“Is he always like this?” Eret asks.

“Yeah, always a pain in the ass,” Astrid answers, punching Snotlout in the shoulder.

“Okay okay, you two need to go get changed for drills,” I say to Snotlout and Eret, and tell the rest of the team the same thing. Today’s practice is on the ice, so the team needs to be in most of their padding. Astrid and I head to the other room to put on our skates, and she shows me the best way to lace and tie them.

“Thanks for showing me this,” I tell her. “Snotlout has just been tying them for me, and the guy at the store obviously did as well. I think he thinks he’s being chivalrous, but I would like to know how to do it myself too.”

“Yeah, that sounds like him. Always wanting to be the hero,” she laughs. “It’s no problem, Hiccup and I will show you everything you need to know. Managing isn’t as hard as it seems, but we’ve been playing hockey since we were kids.” She shows me how to make the minimal padding fir correctly, making sure the knee and elbow pads won’t slide around or give me blisters. When we’re ready, we head out on to the ice to wait for the team to finish getting ready.

Astrid and I skate a few laps around the rink, and she gives me a short lesson on skating backwards. Even though she can be stubborn, spending time with her is nice. She can keep up with all the guys on the team, and take them in a fight, which means I have a lot to learn.

Hiccup comes out to the player’s box and goes over today’s plan. The team will be doing skating drills, and I’ll shadow Astrid as she gives the team tips on what to improve on and what to change. I’ll mostly be along for the ride, there to encourage the guys and help set up any equipment. The team trickles out of the lockers and begin doing laps around the rink to warm up. As Astrid tells them what to do next, I follow her and watch everyone skate.

Seeing everyone on the ice is beautiful. I admire how graceful they are, despite wearing large padding and skates. I’ve always been impressed by anyone who can make skating look easy, and these guys did just that. They give me fist bumps as they fly past, and Snotlout blows a few kisses. Everyone is having a good time, while still getting their practice in. After an hour and a half on the ice, Hiccup and Astrid dismisses the team to do personal workouts in the weight room. The team goes to change once again, and moves to do their own exercises. I haven’t been to these more personal times, so this is my first time assisting with any spotting or resistance training. While everyone changes, Astrid shows me around again.

“Usually the guys switch between stations themselves, but some of them have plans made by us and the coach to help them improve certain areas. If someone’s shot is weak or if they need more endurance, we have them do specific workouts,” she explains.

“I don’t know what any of these machines do,” I admit. “But I guess I’ll find out once they start using them, assuming they all know how to use them correctly.”

“Sometimes they don’t,” Astrid laughs. “That’s when we come in with the YouTube tutorials before they seriously injure themselves.” When the guys come in, they head to either machines or a corner to practice their stick handling.

“Hey, babe. You’ve finally stuck around for the gun show,” Snotlout says when he enters the room, flexing in his tight tee-shirt.

“I always see it, I have a season pass,” I joke.

“That’s true, but you don’t see them in action. You can’t see them ripple on the ice,” he says, wiggling his eyebrows at me.

“Is this… normal?” Eret asks hesitantly.

“Its normal for them. I think Mattie is an enabler sometimes, but honestly they’ve helped him be _less_ arrogant and cocky,” Astrid tells him.

“He introduced himself to them the same way he did to you,” Fishlegs adds with a chuckle. “The two of them clicked almost immediately.”

“He must not be that bad,” I shrug. “You’ve known him for much longer than I have, and you guys are all still friends.”

“Snotlout is my cousin,” Hiccup tells everyone as he enters the room. “I’m obligated to be friends with him.” We all laugh at his honesty, and Snotlout jokingly scowls, but smiles quickly after. Astrid tells everyone to get to work and that everyone will have more time to get to know each other later.

🏒 🏒 🏒 🏒 🏒

After practice is over, the team heads back to the Berk Hockey house to show Eret around. Since he’s an international student, he won’t be living at the house, but is welcome at any time. He makes easy friends with the gang and the team, talking mostly about hockey and his home in northern Norway.

“So, how do you like the new guy,” Snotlout asks me.

“I think he’s nice,” I tell him. “He might need some work, but I think he’ll fit in just fine.”

“I’m not sure about him yet…”

“Because he’s like you, but taller?”

“…maybe,” Snotlout admits. “What if he replaces me?”

“You’re the only one for me, big guy,” I assure him as I hug him. “Nobody is replacing anyone.” Snotlout hugs me back and kisses my temple.

“I still don’t like him yet,” he huffs. I shake my head and chuckle, squeezing him tight.

“I’m sure you’ll at least be able to stand each other in no time.” This makes him loosen up and laugh, knowing I’m right.

We settle down on to one of the couches and watch as the rest of the team tries to impress Eret, laughing at the arm wrestling and flexing. Snotlout gives it a go, and almost beats Eret. I can see him swell with pride, and I’m glad they can at least get along. My second semester is already off to an exciting start.


	3. Let's Just Breathe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: panic attacks  
> More of a hurt/comfort chapter.

It’s the middle of the night and I’m asleep in my own bed. I’ve been spending more nights in my dorm since the team has returned to the BH, since I don’t live there and pay good money for the dorm. Gerdi has been generous in allowing me to stay whenever I wish, but I wanted to give them all space. I wasn’t the only one dating a member of the team. It was hard to readjust to sleeping without a warm body next to me, especially on cold nights. I was sleeping soundly, but I wake up to my phone buzzing. I check the caller ID and answer quickly.

“Fishlegs? It’s the middle of the night,” I say.

“I know, and I didn’t want to wake you up,” he says nervously, “but I think Snotlout is having a panic attack and he won’t talk to me. Can you come over and try?”

“I’ll be over as soon,” I tell him. “Do you know if he took his emergency medication?

“I didn’t even know he had any, he’s basically shut himself in his room. We were all in the living room and it was like a switch flipped.” I bundle myself up and head over to the BH as quickly as I can. Snotlout told me he’s had anxiety and panic attacks in the past, but hadn’t in a while. He seemed fine when I was over earlier, but I knew how quickly anxiety can set in.

When I get to the house Fishlegs lets me in with a concerned look on his face. He tells me he’s glad I’m here, and I head upstairs to Snotlout’s room, and gently knock on the door.

“Sweetheart? Can I come in?” I hear him get up from wherever he was and unlock the door, opening it a crack. His eyes are red, and it breaks my heart to see him like this. “Do you want me to come in?” I ask him. He nods and opens the door, closing and locking it behind me. I give him a tight hug and tell him to sit where he wants, and he chooses the beanbag. First I find his bottle of emergency medicine and ask him if he’s taken any. He shakes his head, so I read the label and hand him the correct dose along with his bottle of water. Thankfully he takes it no problem, and I sit down next to him.

“Do you want to talk about it, or wait a little bit?”

“Can we just sit together?” he asks softly.

“Of course we can,” I tell him. I pull him close and hold each other for a while. When Snotlout’s tears fall again, I wipe them away and hand him a box of tissues. I run my fingers through his hair, comforting him as the medication starts to work. When he calms down a little, he dries his eyes and sits back.

“My dad said he’s coming to the next game,” he all but whispers to me. He sees the confused look on my face, and rubs his eyes. “I didn’t go home for break, so he’s coming to visit soon. We don’t really get along…”

“Is that why you panicked?” I ask him.

“I guess… he just has such high expectations of me, I feel like I can never please him,” he explains. “No matter how good I am at something, its never enough. All the sports when I was younger, my grades, who I dated and who I _didn’t_ , he was always pushing me to be the greatest.”

“I’m sorry honey,” I say as I stroke his cheek. “I know its nothing to do with me, but still. It really sucks when parents are like that.”

“I just know he’s going to pick apart my whole life like always… I don’t know how to make him happy.”

“Then just make yourself happy,” I tell him. “You’re the one that matters the most in your life.”

“I know but… its just hard,” he sighs. “I feel like I play worse when he’s watching.”

“Don’t play for him,” I suggest after a moment. “Play for the team. Play for me.” Snotlout thinks for a moment, and then nods.

“I would rather play for you,” he says softly. “I think I would rather have you be proud of me than him.”

“I’m already proud of you,” I smile. “But I want you to be happy, and not afraid to do what you love.” He pulls me close, squeezing me tight, and I kiss his cheek. The two of us sit together for a moment.

“Did Fishlegs call you over?” he asks.

“Yeah, he did,” I answer.

“Thank you for coming over… it’s the middle of the night, you didn’t have to,” he says with a sigh.

“Well, I told you I would take care of you. That’s what I wanted to do, so I came,” I tell him. “I’ll always come to you.” Snotlout nuzzles into my neck and sighs.

“Do you want to go to sleep?” I ask him when I notice him nodding off. He nods and unwraps himself from my arms. “Do you want me to stay?”

“Please stay,” he says softly.

I help him get ready for bed, and cuddle in together. Snotlout falls asleep while I run my fingers through his dark hair, a peaceful look on his face. I take a deep breath; happy he was able to relax and sleep. Soon I’m asleep too, listening to his heartbeat and steady breathing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since Snotlout canonically (at least in RttE) has anxiety and panic attacks because of Spitelout's expectations, I wanted to include that in this universe as well. I have anxiety myself, and I've had multiple panic and anxiety attacks. They manifest differently depending on the person, but I had his reflect mine since that's what I have the most experience with.


	4. Love is Ruff

“Ruffnut is already in love with Eret,” I tell Snotlout. The two of us are relaxing in the living room of the BH with a few other team members, his arm around my shoulders.

“Of course she is, have you seen him?” says Juice, one of the players with. “He could crush me and I would thank him.” The room processes what he said and looks at him, confused. “What? You wouldn’t?”

“I could crush you,” Snotlout says.

“Yeah, but it wouldn’t be the same…” Juice retorts. A few of us sigh, and Snotlout groans.

“Are you telling me I should crush you?” asks Eret when he walks into the room, confused about what Juice meant.

“I mean…”

“Please don’t crush anyone,” I plead.

“Ruffnut is the blonde one, yes? The tall one who wouldn’t stop staring?” Eret asks.

“That’s the one,” Snotlout answers. “She’ll get over it. She goes for big arms, and people that haven’t gotten to know her.”

A few people in the room nod, a lot of them have been at the receiving end of Ruff’s affection. Usually she gets bored after the novelty of a new boyfriend fades, and ends up breaking hearts left and right. Everyone goes back to what they were doing, whether it was watching the tv or messing around on their laptops. I’ve become a lot more comfortable around the team compared to when I first met them, easily spending free time with them. A few of them say I’m their bro and rustle my hair when they pass by around campus, others hug me whenever they get the chance. Since becoming a manager-in-training, their appreciation of me has only grown. Eret sits down on the couch next to me and Snotlout, squeezing between me and Juice.

“Mattie, do you live here?” he asks me.

“Oh, no, I’m just usually here. I’m kind of staying here for winter break since I didn’t have anywhere else to go, but once classes start again, I’ll probably be here less,” I explain. “Also, somebody has to supervise, or something will explode in the kitchen. We already did a deep clean of the house and I would like it to last at least one semester.”

“They’re just here for me,” Snotlout says confidently.

“Not true! We want them here too,” says Riley, one of the Jonseys. “They’re cool and have sick scars and don’t get mad at us when we try to play floor hockey in the house...”

“Okay fine, I’ll share Mattie a little bit,” Snotlout tells everyone, laughing at how defensive they got, and a few of them let out a small cheer.

“I’m just along for the ride,” I say as I turn back to Eret.

“I guess I never thought a girl would enjoy being around all of these guys,” he says innocently. The room goes quiet, and everyone turns to him.

“Mattie isn’t a girl,” says Andrew, another Jonsey. “They’re just Mattie.”

“I… don’t think I understand?” Eret says, confused as to why everyone suddenly got offended. I open my mouth to explain, but Riley cuts me off.

“Some people are boys, some are girls, and some are neither, and some a lot are transgender. If you have a problem with it, you’ll have to fight Snotlout, the whole team, and them- in that order. If you have more questions, we’ll take you in the Office of Jonsey at any time.” I smile at the three of them, grateful for their support.

“Its okay Eret, you’re new here. But yeah, I’m just me,” I tell him. “You’ll get used to it, everyone else has.”

“I might have to stop by the ‘Office of Jonsey’, but I understand. We have people like you where I’m from, but I don’t know the words for it.”

“You’re welcome at any time, man,” says Johnathan, the third Jonsey. “Just give us a heads up. We have pamphlets.” I laugh at how invested they’ve gotten in understanding me, and people like me. When I arrived at Berk U, I was worried about if I would need to hide a big part of my life just to make acquaintances. I would have been happy with one friend, but having upwards of 15 people supporting me feels even better.

“Can you also explain why you’re all called Jonsey? And I didn’t think anyone would ever be named Juice, or whatever a ‘Gerdi’ is…” Eret asks.

“We’ll clear our books for the rest of the afternoon... Okay, they’re clear. Please, step into our office,” the Jonseys say, leading Eret to their room.

“That went better than expected,” Snotlout tells me, squeezing my shoulders. “But I also didn’t expect much. He seemed to take it well, though.”

“Yeah, he did. I think he’ll either understand, or never bring it up again,” I laugh. “Go easy on him.” I thank the team for having my back, and everyone goes back to what they were doing. The rest of the day is quiet, a day off from scheduled practice. Snotlout and I relax on the couch, chatting and laughing with each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eret's design is based on Sami and indigenous people of North America. Most indigenous people have multiple gender identities, not just male and female. Two-spirit is common, and I wanted Eret to be reminded of that. He's a good good boy. 
> 
> Hockey nicknames are generally chosen by adding a y or ie to the end of a name, but can also be chosen by something a player does or likes. Juice likes juice boxes, but calling him juice box was too long. That was the whole story. I'm trying to name more characters, but with 15 players on a team, there's a lot of names. Snotlout, Fishlegs, Gerdi (that animal from The Black Cauldron), three Jonseys (named after Jonsey and Reilly in Letterkenny and a play on Jonzi) and now Juice (because McElroys), makes seven. I'll attempt to add more funny names in the future, but I don't want to add a bunch of random names that won't necessarily come back.


	5. Snotlout!!! On Ice

A week of practices later, its time for the first game of the season. The team is excited to get back into the swing of things, but Snotlout is a nervous wreck. His father will be arriving early to visit with him, and will be staying for the day after the game. This will also be my first game as an official member of the team, so my nerves were on edge as well.

I was in Snotlout’s room reviewing the playbooks and the player stats for the other team when his father arrived.

“So… how should I introduce you?” he asks hesitantly. “I don’t know how he’ll react…”

“Just say whatever you feel comfortable with. Its not a big deal right now, so if you want to wait to tell him we’re together, you can,” I say with a smile. Snotlout takes a deep breath, and nods. A teammate yells from downstairs that his father is here, and Snotlout goes downstairs to retrieve him. I hear a loud voice greet him, and hear Snotlout introduce him to Gerdi and some of his teammates. When he’s done, he brings his father upstairs to his room. I stand up when he opens the door, readying myself for introductions.

“This is Mattie,” Snotlout tells his dad. “They’re a manager-in-training for the team, and one of my… best friends.”

“Nice to meet you, Mattie. I’m Spitelout, Snotlout’s dad,” he says as he shakes my hand. He is taller than Snotlout by a fair bit, and his hands completely engulf mine. “I hope you’re taking good care of my boy and the team.”

“I’m trying my best, they can both be a handful,” I smile. “I think Snotlout is easier to deal with though.” Spitelout and Snotlout laugh, and I excuse myself to give them their own time.

I go downstairs to keep looking at the playbooks and ask Gerdi or whoever is available how to make sense of a few of them. I sit with some team members at the dining room table and they happily help me as they eat their ‘pre-game gains’. Snotlout comes back downstairs with his dad to eat as well, sitting next to me. Spitelout goes to talk to some other parents that have arrived for the first game of the season, leaving us with those at the table.

“How has it been?” I ask him quietly.

“I think its been fine. He hasn’t asked anything about you, so hasn’t been too stressful,” he tells me. I hold his hand under the table, giving it a squeeze and smiling.

“You should eat something sooner than later,” I say. “You don’t want to get nauseous when you’re playing.” He takes my advice and goes to get his food. I tell the same thing to any player that walks into the room, making sure everyone has at least eaten something. When its time to go to the arena, Gerdi and I gather everyone and head out, and the parents come along to get their seats.

🏒 🏒 🏒 🏒 🏒

I meet Hiccup and Astrid outside the locker room, ready to help with whatever they need. There isn’t much, but I do help them with guiding pre-game stretching. When the team is ready to change into their uniforms, I go with Astrid to the players box. As usual, I wear Snotlout’s extra jersey, both for its warmth and to support the team. Astrid goes over how to take notes on the players and how each penalty works, and tells me not to worry.

“Hey Mattie, can you come back and help with something,” Hiccup shouts. I meet him near the doors to the locker rooms, not knowing what he might need since Astrid is more prepared than I am. “Can you give Snotlout a pep talk? He’s getting really nervous,” he asks me quietly. “I know how Spitelout can be…”

“Of course. He had a panic attack about a week ago and we talked about the game then, but I’m not surprised he needs more encouragement.”

“Thanks Mattie, he should be in the office,” Hiccup tells me. I head to the locker room, thinking about what to tell him.

“Hey big guy,” I say as I enter the office. “Are you okay?” Snotlout’s head is in his hands, and he shrugs. I kneel in front of him and put my hand on his shoulder. “Do you remember what we talked about before? Just play for me. Don’t worry about what he thinks this time, you just have to make me proud.” He lifts his head from his hands and nods.

“You’re right,” he says softly, with a hint of a smile. “I’ll play my best. I’ll make you proud, babe.”

“I’ll be there the whole time,” I say as I kiss his forehead. “Now go finish getting ready, the ice warmups will be starting soon.” He goes back out to the locker room, and I can see his confident swagger has returned. I head back to the players box, ready for the game to begin.

After warmups finish, the seats are filled, and the players come back to the box, the game is finally starting. Hiccup and Gerdi give the team a small pep talk, Tuffnut and Ruffnut cheer loudly, and the team looks more confident than when they came out. I catch Snotlout’s eye and wink. He scoots closer to me, leaning in to whisper in my ear.

“Don’t take your eyes off me,” he tells me. I grin and take his gloved hand in mine.

“I won’t,” I say as I kiss his knuckles. He grins back, his confidence returned to its usual level. After the anthem and team introductions, the starting players hit the ice. The Berkian Dragons take the puck, and quickly score their first goal. They score again during the first period, Snotlout assisting with the goal. I cheer for him as he blows me a kiss. When the period is over, the Dragons are leading with one point.

During the break I tell the team to keep up the good work and congratulate the players that scored, giving out fist bumps to those who want them. Snotlout squeezes next to me and I wrap my arm around his middle. There is a knock on the glass behind us, and Snotlout turns to see who it is.

“Nice work out there, boy’o,” Spitelout yells to him. “Score your own goal next time!” Snotlout just nods and gives him a thumbs up before turning back around. Spitelout said nothing about the matching jerseys, and I’m not sure if he even noticed. 

Snotlout isn’t put out as a starter for the second period, but gets called to play in the middle. I help Astrid take her notes, telling her who has the puck and when a player gets checked. They’ve had a couple penalties, but nothing too violent has happened. The period goes by without any goals on either side, and the Dragons are determined to score in the next period. Astrid gives the guys another pep talk, telling them what to look out for and be careful of. She’s been keeping note of who is the fastest on the other team and who gets the puck the most, and advises the team to watch them.

As the third period starts, tensions are high, but the team is confident. When Snotlout gets passed the puck with an open shot to the net, I hold my breath. This time he wasn’t checked and makes his shot, the puck going right between the goalie’s legs. The crowd cheers while Snotlout does his signature celly and looks to me. I’m grinning, punching the air with him. His heart swells when he sees how proud I am. The Dragons win the game 4 to 1, and the team piles on top of each other in their own celebration. Hiccup, Astrid, and I high five each other, and go with the team back to the locker rooms.

I wait with Astrid in the office while the guys change, and she leads the cooldown stretches when they’re ready. Hiccup and I go over the notes we took during the game, and when we’re done we wait in the hallway. Tuffnut is waiting for us and scoops me into his arms, squeezing as he jumps up and down, still excited from the game.

“I can’t believe we won the first game of the season,” he grins as he puts me down. “I think this is the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

“Whatever you say, Tuff,” I laugh. We notice Spitelout walking towards the two of us, and I feel a twinge of nervousness.

“Its good to see you, boy,” he says as he claps Tuffnut on the shoulder. “I think you cheered the loudest out of everyone in the arena.”

“I try my best to do just that,” Tuffnut says proudly. “I’m the team’s number one fan, right Mattie?”

“I would say so. Nobody else comes to games with as much merch or face paint as you do,” I grin. Spitelout looks me up and down, noticing my sweater.

“Is that my boy’s jersey?” he asks me.

“It is, but its from last year. He gave it to me to wear at games,” I explain.

“Mattie gets the good stuff, they’re his spoiled---” I elbow Tuffnut in the side before he can say anything more, and he quickly adds “Manager. He’s a spoiled manager.”

“That boy can be too generous sometimes,” Spitelout says as he shakes his head.

As the team exits the locker room, I give them fist bumps and hugs and congratulate them on their win. Fishlegs and Snotlout come out together, and Spitelout congratulates both of them.

“You did good, boy’o,” he says as he pats Snotlout’s back.

“Thanks, dad,” Snotlout smiles.

“Make sure you score more goals next time,” Spitelout tells him. I see Snotlout wilt a little, but when he sees me grinning at him, he perks back up. “It’s getting late, so I’m going to head back to the hotel. I’ll see you tomorrow for lunch.” He waves and walks away, leaving the four of us.

“I watched you the whole time,” I tell Snotlout, pulling him into a hug.

“Did I make you proud?”

“Yeah, big guy, you made me very proud,” I answer.

“Can I get in on this?” Tuffnut asks as he wraps his arms around both of us.

“I want in, too,” Fishlegs says. We all laugh as he envelops us in his arms, squeezing the four of us together. When Fishlegs and Tuffnut get off me and Snotlout, I kiss him softly. He smiles and kisses me back, holding me tightly. Out of the corner of my eye, I see that Spitelout has turned around and had headed back towards the group. Instead of approaching, he turns back the way he came, leaving the arena.

We all head back to the BH, where an impromptu party was starting. Tuffnut and Fishlegs go to the kitchen, and Snotlout and I go to his room to celebrate by ourselves.

“Hey, babe? I think your dad might have seen us earlier…” I say hesitantly. Snotlout turns to me and thinks for a moment, and shrugs.

“He was going to find out eventually, I guess,” he tells me. “It would have been nice to tell him myself, but I don’t really care anymore. All I want to think about right now is you,” he says as he cups my face in his hands, kissing me when I wrap my arms around his waist.

“I’m so proud of you,” I whisper to him. He grins, and eagerly meets my lips again.


	6. Meet the Parent

The next morning Snotlout wakes up before I do and stretches, careful not to wake me. He pauses to admire how peaceful I look and reaches for his phone. He checks the time and his messages, seeing one from his dad.

Snotlout looks back to me and takes a deep breath. He wasn’t sure how his dad would take our relationship, let alone his son’s sexuality and my gender. He brushes his thumb against my cheek, making me stir.

“Hey, babe,” he says softly. I stretch and groan, closing my eyes again. “Do you want to come to lunch? You don’t have to but…”

“Do you want me to go?” I ask as I look back at him. He pauses to think, and nods.

“I would like that,” he admits.

“Then I’ll go.”

Snotlout takes a quick shower and tries to calm his nerves. I still have clothes in his dresser and try to put something together that doesn’t look too sloppy, and end up borrowing one of his nicer sweaters. When he comes back from his shower, he looks me up and down and smiles.

“Is that one of my shirts?” he asks. The sweater is oversized, but looks intentional.

“Does it look okay? I don’t have anything here that seemed nice enough…”

“You look great,” he says, kissing me softly. He gets dressed in a similar fashion, and the two of us head downstairs to wait for Spitelout to pick us up. I hold Snotlout’s hand, calming his nerves. As we wait I recall what he has told me about his father so far. I know Spitelout pushed him to do sports, and set high goals for his son. His high expectations have caused Snotlout to develop anxiety, something I’ve seen firsthand, and he didn’t go home over break because of it. I also know Spitelout is much taller and gruffer, and his personality seems to match. When we hear the door open, Snotlout and I stand to greet his father.

“Are you two ready to go?” Spitelout asks. “I’ll take you to Maeve’s, if that’s okay.”

The three of us head out, and have an awkward and silent drive to the diner. When we arrive, Spitelout chooses a booth to sit at, passing the table Snotlout and I usually sat at. The waitress comes over with menus, and we order coffees. When she comes back with the coffees, she asks if Snotlout and I want our usual waffles and French toast with a smile. We both nod, and Spitelout orders a breakfast special.

“So… are you dating my boy?” he asks suddenly. I look to Snotlout, and he holds my hand under the table.

“Yes sir, I am,” I answer. Spitelout just nods and thinks for a moment.

“Has he been treating you right?”

“He’s been amazing,” I say as I squeeze Snotlout’s hand. “I don’t think any one has respected or cared for me more than he does.”

“What about you, boy’o,” he asks Snotlout. “Has this one been good to you?”

“They’ve helped me become a better person,” he admits. “Hiccup tells us all the time. My grades and playing have improved, but they just make me happy.”

“I guess that’s all a father could ask for,” Spitelout says.

The waitress brings out our food, and the table is quiet. Snotlout gives me one of his waffles and I give him two slices of my French toast, splitting our order the same way we’ve been sharing since the first time he brought me here. I smile at him, thinking about everything we’ve shared together.

“Do you play hockey too?” Spitelout asks me, breaking the silence.

“I only know how to play in theory,” I say. “I’ve been assisting during practices, but I’m not nearly good enough to even keep up with everyone.”

“You’ve gotten better, though. Even compared to a few weeks ago,” Snotlout tells me. “Plus, you’re a lot more encouraging than Astrid is.”

“That girl is a spitfire, always has been,” Spitelout laughs. “I’m not surprised that you’re softer than her, she’s the hardest one I’ve ever known.”

The three of us continue our friendly conversation, mostly talking about pre-season and this season’s upcoming games, as well as Snotlout’s improvements. Nobody mentions either of our identities, which is perfectly fine with me. Lunch goes smoothly, and soon its time to leave. Spitelout drops Snotlout and me off at the BH and goes on his way.

“Did that go well?” I ask Snotlout as we head back to his room.

“It went better than I anticipated,” he answers. “He doesn’t usually like who I date, and lets them know it.”

“So… he likes me then?”

“Probably. He laughed, and he doesn’t usually do that,” he smiles. I smile back, and close the door to his room behind me. “Thank you for coming with,” he says as he pulls me into a hug.

“You’re welcome, big guy.”


	7. Fluff Bunnies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a short, fluffy chapter. It isn't really plot related, I just wanted some good good platonic lovin.

Classes have started and this semester I have two with Tuffnut, which makes it easy to choose who to work with on projects and share notes with. Being able to continue our weekly study times was a plus.

After class one day, Tuffnut, Snotlout, and I are sharing a couch at the twin’s apartment. I have my back against Snotlout’s side, his arm wrapped around my shoulders, and Tuffnut has his head on my chest, laying between my legs. The three of us are watching some random documentary on conspiracy theories when Ruffnut comes home.

“Ugh, gross,” she says as she sees us all cuddled together. “I thought you were studying, not loving up on each other.”

“Come on, sis, its cold and Mattie is the best cuddler,” Tuffnut tells her. “You’re just jealous.”

“I am not, I don’t need to be so close to Snotlout.”

“I’m not even touching him!” Snotlout says, sounding offended.

“Why are you so afraid to love me?” Tuffnut asks him.

“Excuse me, I’m trying to lose a few brain cells here,” I say as I gesture to the screen. “I need to know why white people think brown people couldn’t build things just because they couldn’t.”

Ruffnut just groans and goes into her room, leaving the three of us to veg out on the couch. When she comes back out a little while later, we’ve barely moved.

“If you guys are going to just stay like that, can I use you as models for some sketches?” she asks. We shrug, knowing she needed to fill a few pages with figure drawings. Ruffnut grabs a sketchbook and various supplies, and settles down in front of the couch. Sometimes she moves to different places around the room, using a timer on her phone to do timed sketches. I rub circles in Tuffnut’s back and lean into Snotlout, content and comfortable. As Tuffnut dozes off he wraps his arms around me, holding tight.

“He’s so cute,” I say to Snotlout.

“Yeah, I guess, if you’re into tall, skinny guys,” he shrugs.

“Okay well its cute that he can fall asleep like this. Is that better?”

“Like I’ve said before, I love that you love him as much as you do,” he tells me.

“Haven’t we had this conversation before?” asks Ruffnut from across the room, not looking up from her sketchbook.

“I think you were talking about me that time,” I laugh.

“Let me sleep on Mattie in peace,” Tuffnut mumbles into my chest.

“Okay, okay, go to sleep Tuff” I tell him, patting his back.

“I can’t believe you three,” Ruffnut groans. “At least I got my sketches done…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget to bookmark and kudos!


	8. Eggs on Toast

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Anxiety

It’s the middle of the night and I haven’t slept. I’ve been in bed for a few hours, but I can feel my heart and mind racing. I’ve gone through the list of things that usually help me calm down and fall asleep: listening to soft music, eating a snack, laying with my head by the footboard, doing a crossword puzzle, counting to 100, vapor-rub… nothing has worked. Now I’m just lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, hoping my anxiety will get the message and leave. Even though I know that’s not how it works, I hope anyways. After another hour, I buck up and text Snotlout.

I know he’s sleeping, but my mind is going haywire. It seemed like my brain was playing combat music when no opponent was in the area. I bundle myself up over my pajamas and head out to the Berk Hockey House. The night was cold, but not cold enough to deter me. The bite of chill on my cheeks was grounding, calming me. When I reach the BH, I punch in the code to unlock the door and let myself in to the quiet house.

Snotlout’s door is unlocked, so I let myself in and unbundle quietly. I climb into bed with him, moving into my usual spot next to the wall. He barely stirs, but just being next to him is enough to calm me. Tucking myself in, I can feel my heart and mind slowing down. I fall asleep soon after, my hand on his chest.

In the small hours of morning Snotlout wakes from a dream. He rubs his eyes, and sees me sleeping peacefully next to him. He checks the time and sees my messages, and understands why I simply let myself in. We both knew how soundly he could sleep, especially on cold nights. Snotlout gets up to use the bathroom, careful not to wake me. When he returns, I’m still in the same position he left me. He climbs back into bed and wraps his arm around me, quickly falling back to sleep.

🏒 🏒 🏒 🏒 🏒

When Snotlout’s alarm goes off in the morning, I groan and pull the blankets over my head. He turns off the jarring noise, and peeks under the blankets.

“Hi, sweetie,” he says softly. “Couldn’t sleep, huh?” I shake my head and nuzzle into his chest, and he chuckles. “I have to get ready for class, but you can stay here if you want.” I think for a moment and nod. I didn’t want to go back out into the cold to my own dorm. Snotlout kisses the top of my head, then goes to get himself ready. I watch as he stretches the sleep from his muscles, admiring the way the ones in his back tensed and relaxed. He puts on a loose tank top and heads downstairs to make his breakfast, leaving me to cuddle back into his bed. I find my phone and email the professors of today’s two classes, letting them know I won’t be in today and that I’ll get everything I need from Tuffnut.

When Snotlout returns, he checks his planner to make sure he has everything he needs for class today. I was always impressed by how organized he is. He quietly changes into more class-appropriate clothes, and watches as I fall back asleep. He smiles and kisses my forehead, before leaving for a few hours of lectures.

I awake a while later, feeling better compared to the night before. My stomach growls, and I put on one of Snotlout’s hoodies and go downstairs to the kitchen. In his designated cabinet shelf, I have been keeping my own food and snacks, not wanting to eat any of the team’s shared food. There is still coffee in one of the pots, and thankfully it’s still warm. I pour a mug for myself, and sit at the dining room table, laying my head in my arms.

“Oh, hey Mattie,” a familiar voice says. I recognize Eret’s accent and lift my head to say hello. He asks if I’m feeling okay, and I just shrug. He sits down next to me and places a hand on my back.

“I couldn’t sleep last night so I came all the way here in the middle of the night, just so I could ease my anxiety and try to sleep,” I explain. “My mind and heart just race, and the thoughts aren’t ever nice to me. I don’t know why my brain does this.” Eret gently rubs my back as he listens, letting me speak. “I know it’s anxiety and that it can’t be helped, but still…”

“What do they tell you?” he asks.

“That I’m not a good manager, that I’ll fail my classes, that I still look like a girl, that Snotlout stopped breathing in the night…”

“Do you know that none of that is true?”

“I know I’m just learning and that I’m doing my best, but when it comes to Snotlout and my body, its hard to convince my mind that its fine,” I sigh.

“I think the gods will have to come down from the heavens to make sure that little man doesn’t live too long,” he smiles. “He’s strong and hearty, you know.”

“I guess you’re right. I just don’t want Hela to take him before I could tell him how much I love him and say goodbye…”

“Hela won’t take either of you before you are ready. He would probably fight her to spend five more minutes with you,” he says softly. “Besides, that will be a long time from now.”

“I know, but it doesn’t make my brain stop.”

“Then spin it a different way. If you’re afraid you won’t be able to tell him everything you want to, tell him whenever you get the chance.”

I stop and think for a moment. Nobody has ever suggested finding a different approach to solving my anxiety, they usually just said to stop worrying.

“You’re right,” I nod. “Why didn’t I think of that?”

“The mind is a fickle thing,” he grins. “Take it from me, the resident psych major.”

“I think one of the Jonseys are a psych major, too.”

“Okay, the psych major with the best grades,” he says confidently, making me chuckle. “And you look and sound more masculine every time I see you.”

“Thanks, Eret,” I say sincerely. He pats my back and stands, going back to why he came to the kitchen in the first place.

“Do you eat eggs? I’ll make you one,” he says from the refrigerator. I take his offer, and he makes me a sunny side up egg and a piece of toast. We eat our meal in relative silence, only asking about what is planned for practice later in the day. When we finish, I wash both plates and the utensils, paying him back for cooking. I tell Eret I’ll see him later at practice, and head back to Snotlout’s bed.

🏒 🏒 🏒 🏒 🏒

An hour or so later, Snotlout comes home to his room. I’m snuggled into his pillow, half watching one of the cartoons I’ve seen many times. I look up at him and smile.

“Hi honey,” I say softly. He brushes hair from my face and kisses my forehead.

“Are you feeling better?”

“I think so. I slept some more, and Eret made me an egg,” I tell him. “He talked me through some stuff, too.”

“Is he trying to steal you,” he laughs.

“He actually complemented you,” I smile. “He said you are strong and hearty.”

“He said that?”

“I told him that I’m afraid you’ll stop breathing in the night, and he said the gods will have to come down themselves to make sure you don’t live too long. And that you would fight Hela if she tried to take you before you were ready,” I tell him.

“Well, he’s right. I’ll fight anyone just to spend more time with you,” he grins. He thinks for a moment before speaking again. “Is that why you snuck in last night? To make sure I was breathing?” he asks softly.

“I couldn’t stop thinking about ‘what if’, and how you wouldn’t know how much I love you,” I tell him.

“I know how much you love me,” Snotlout says as he strokes my cheek. “You show me all the time.”

“I do?”

“When you fall asleep with you hand on my chest, when you squeeze my hand, when you laugh at my stupid jokes, when you cheer for me at games… even if you don’t say it, I feel it,” he says. I stop and think for a moment then nod, realizing he’s right. “And when I catch you not so subtly checking me out, not that I’m complaining.”

“I’ve seen you naked many times, I don’t need to be subtle anymore,” I laugh. He grins as he takes off his clothes to change back into more comfortable ones and climbs into bed with me, his classes done for the day. I run my hand over his chest and sigh, grateful for his presence and understanding. The two of us stay in bed together until its time to go to practice, enjoying each other’s company and warmth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For this chapter I drew from my own anxieties, as well as Justin McElroy's. He talks about how he used to be so scared that his wife and children would stop breathing in the night that he would wake them up just to make sure they were still alive. You can listen to the episode of Sawbones here: https://bit.ly/2NVvPMO 
> 
> I also included a little bit about Hela, the Norse god of the dead. Unlike Marvel's characterization, she is actually not evil. She simply brings the dead to where they need to be, whether its Valhalla, Hel, or Nifflehiem. To me, she is one of the most welcoming and understanding of the gods, and I have interacted with her a few times. You can learn more about her in this video by Arith Harger: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Y9JSbwrA_c&t=27s


	9. BFFs 5ever

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like cuddling and platonic affection, okay? Hug your friends. Kiss their cheeks. Love them.

Since I’ve been assisting with on and off ice practices, my skating and strength have improved greatly. I still can’t keep up with Astrid’s speed, but I’m no longer afraid of falling and can participate in drills. Being on the ice makes me feel free and calm, the bite of the cold is grounding, and the sound of skates and sticks against the ice is music to my ears. As I give the team the tips I’ve learned from Hiccup and Astrid, as well as various YouTube videos, they give me their own. I tell them to keep low, they tell me to watch my balance. We throw encouragements back and forth, keeping each other motivated throughout practices.

While in the weight room I spot on the machines and weights I can handle, the guys can lift much more than I can. I’ve been watching videos on various workouts so I can assist with more than just counting reps and motivation, but when it comes to lifting, they have to rely on each other. The team has also been helping me learn more about why they do certain exercises and how they help their performance.

Today I’m helping them do sit ups and crunches as they go through their routines. I either hold down or sit on their feet so they stay on the ground, counting their reps or keeping time. When Snotlout comes over, he insists on kissing my cheek every time he completes a rep.

“Are you even counting?” I ask him, laughing as he shows off. “You’re not even focusing.”

“I am focused. Focused on kissing you,” he says as he wiggles his eyebrows.

“You’re so weird,” I tell him. “I think you’re done now, go finish up.”

“Aww, babe, you don’t want more kisses?”

“I want you to finish your workout so we can go eat.”

“Fine, fine,” he says in fake offense. “I’ll just have to continue later.”

“Can I kiss your cheeks too?” asks Andrew, one of the Jonseys, as he sits down.

“If that’s what will make you do better,” I sigh.

“Watch it, Jonsey,” Snotlout yells from across the room.

“Mattie said it was okay!”

“I really just want you all to finish so I can eat!” I tell them. Andrew only kisses my cheek once, grinning. I shake my head, but smile. The support from all three Jonseys has been invaluable to me, I’ve become good friends with them.

When the team finally finishes, I still have to wait for Snotlout and most of them to shower. Since the house only has three showers for eleven people, they usually use the locker room showers after practices and games. I wait in the office for Snotlout, deciding whether to bring him to the dining hall or eat with the team, and Gerdi comes in to sit with me.

“I’m really glad you took the offer of becoming a manager,” he tells me. “Hiccup and Astrid are great, but the way you’ve connected with the team is really great to see. I’ve known a lot of these guys for a while now, and seeing them open up to you and each other makes me really excited for the future.”

“Thanks, Gerdi,” I smile. “I’m trying my best to be open and supportive, even if I’m not as fast or as strong as they are.”

“Your encouragement matters more than how fast or strong you are,” he says. “Astrid may be able to give some of them a run for their money, but when it comes to keeping them motivated in ways that aren’t violent, you’ve got her beat.”

“I guess you’re right,” I laugh. “She can be a little hard on them, but sometimes they need it. I’ll have to learn to be a little stricter eventually, but for now I think they just like some positivity.”

“As long as you stick around, I think they’ll be fine,” he says. “Are you eating with us tonight? I think we’ll make a BH classic. Probably just too much spaghetti.”

“If you let me cook the noodles I will. You guys always undercook them, noodles aren’t supposed to be hard to chew.”

“I think we can arrange that,” he laughs. Snotlout comes to retrieve me, his hair still wet.

“Hey babe, is the captain giving you a hard time?” he jokes.

“They’re the one giving me a hard time,” Gerdi exclaims. “They say we undercook noodles, as if we even knew that was an option.” Snotlout laughs, and asks if I’m ready to leave. I tell Gerdi I’ll see him in a bit for dinner, and head out.

The two of us walk hand in hand back to the house, and I tell Snotlout he did a good job today.

“You’re there, so I have to impress you,” he says as he flexes his arms.

“I’m always impressed by you,” I laugh.

“Then I’ll impress the other guys and assert my dominance as your boyfriend,” he grins. “Can’t let the Jonseys get too chummy with you.”

“You can try, but I don’t think it will work. I think they just like having another friend that returns their affections.”

“You’re probably right. Between the three of them, they’ve got too much of it to keep to themselves.”

“Besides, you’re the only one for me, big guy,” I say as I kiss his fingers.

When we get to the BH we head for the kitchen to start dinner, passing all three Jonseys cuddled together on the couch. Snotlout helps me get everything ready, still insisting on pecking my cheek whenever he can. I retaliate by checking him with my hip, but he just laughs. The rest of the team comes in to help us cook, telling me to eat first and that they’ll take care of everything else. When Snotlout and the team finish cleaning, he takes me to one of the couches and pulls me into his lap. Even though he presents as a hard, masculine man, he loves to cuddle and doesn’t care if anyone knows it. He wraps me in his arms, my legs across his lap.

“I want to cuddle too,” Jonathan, another Jonsey, whines.

“Fine, I’ll share my own boyfriend with you,” Snotlout says, rolling his eyes. Jonsey cheers and sits down next to us, putting my legs over his and resting his head on Snotlout’s shoulder. “I can’t believe I even allow this.”

“Awww, but you’re all so cute,” Fishlegs teases as he snaps a picture. “I’m putting this in both group chats.”

Snotlout groans, but Johnathan and I laugh. The way he pretends he doesn’t enjoy the attention will always be amusing, especially to me. The three of us stay like this until we decide we should try to do some homework, taking Snotlout to his room to work with him.

“You’re so sweet,” I say before kissing him. He shakes his head, but kisses me back. He has opened up since we’ve started dating, allowing himself to be more approachable to his teammates. He’s glad he has become more comfortable with himself and others, and isn’t so embarrassed to show his softer sides.

“You’ve helped me be sweet,” he tells me. “I can’t do it without you.”

“I love you,” I tell him.

“I love you too.”


	10. The Jonseys Three

The Berkian Dragons win their next few games, the start of a promising season. The team is excited and motivated, eager to keep their streak. They play hard during practices, and harder during games. Their stats are showing their improvements in a quantifiable way, even if taking the notes is difficult when there is so much happening on the ice. I am proud of all the guys, and I feel like I’m finally getting the hang of being a manager.

After practice one day, the Jonseys ask to see me in their ‘office’. They look nervous, but I don’t know why. They have been my friends since I came out to them, becoming some of my closest. I tell Snotlout I’ll eat with him later, and go to meet the Jonseys in their room. Andrew sits me down in one of their sagging chairs, and takes a deep breath.

“Mattie, you’re one of our best friends,” he says. “We wanted to tell you first.

“Okay?” I say, confused about what is happening.

“Since meeting you and learning about a bunch of queer stuff, we’ve all realized some things about ourselves,” Riley says. I slowly nod along, giving everyone a chance to speak.

“I don’t know if you’ve like, picked up on it or anything, but…” Johnathan adds. “The three of us are dating.”

“Each other,” clarifies Andrew. A grin spreads across my face and the three visibly relax. Their shoulders drop and they let out the breaths they’ve been holding, and smile back.

“That’s great guys! I’m so happy for you,” I gush. I think back to all the times they’ve cuddled together on the couches, how they always seem to be together, and how physically intimate they are with each other.

“We don’t know if we’ll tell the rest of the team yet,” Riley says. “This isn’t exactly a ‘normal’ situation.”

“You don’t have to tell anyone you don’t want to. Nobody is required to come out,” I tell them. “If you all want to keep it to yourselves, I’ll keep it to myself too.”

“Thanks, Mats,” Johnathan says, “You’re really the best.” I stand up and pull the three of them into a hug. I was proud of them and thankful that they told me.

“I’m just so proud of you guys,” I say, still grinning. The three of them laugh and squeeze us tighter, doing their best not to smother me. They let me go, asking to keep their relationship to myself for now. I tell them that I’ll see them later at dinner and go up to Snotlout’s room, still grinning.

“Dang, what did they do to you?” he asks. “Do I need to intervene on this?”

“Please don’t beat them up. I’m just really happy for them,” I tell him. “And no, I’m not telling. They asked me not to, and I am respecting their wishes.”

“Okay, okay, I won’t push it,” he says with his hands up in mock surrender. I sit on his lap and wrap my arms around his neck.

“I’m so happy,” I sigh. “And also hungry.”

“I’m glad you’re happy,” Snotlout laughs. “And I can fix your hunger, though.” He scoops me up and carries me downstairs as we laugh. 

🏒 🏒 🏒 🏒 🏒

A week later while the team and I are making dinner, the Jonseys say they have an announcement to make. The kitchen and dining room goes quiet, letting them speak.

“This may not come as a surprise to some people, but it was important to us to tell everyone,” Andrew says. “You’re our family, so it made sense to tell you.”

“Since Mattie became a part of this family, we’ve learned so much about LGBTQ identities and have gained a new understanding of each other,” Riley tells everyone. I smile at them and nod, letting them know it was okay and that I was supporting them.

“We’re dating each other,” Johnathan blurts out. “It’s called polyamory and its just how we are.”

The room stays quiet as the team processes the information.

“So… you’re all gay, but for each other? Like a relationship but with three people?” someone asks.

“I think I’m bi, but pretty much,” Johnathan clarifies.

“So, triple the love?”

The Jonseys all nod, still nervous about the team’s reaction. The team looks at each other and nod back before starting to chant, just like they did for Snotlout and me. I go to the Jonseys and hug them, squeezing them tight. Snotlout and Fishlegs join, then Gerdi, followed by the rest of the team. The Jonseys laugh through their misty eyes, nuzzling their faces together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Polyamory is valid and good. I hinted at this by putting the polyam flag as their icon backgrounds in the last chapter.


	11. Hot Cheetos

Spring break was around the corner, right after the dreaded midterms. I was over at the twin’s apartment studying with Tuffnut for the two classes we shared.

“I think my eyes are bleeding,” he whines. “I already can barely see out of one of them, I can’t let the other one go, too.”

“Have you blinked in the last five minutes?” I ask him.

“I don’t have time to blink.”

“Please close your eyes for a minute. Maybe five,” I plead. I was starting to get burnt out as well, my brain felt like mush. “Do you even need to study? You take meticulous notes and always get good grades.”

“There’s a reason I take notes. Its because I can’t remember shit.”

“You spout out facts all the time, you must remember some things.”

“The only things that get into my brain are trivia answers and general knowledge,” he groans. “Once I put it down on a test or essay, most of it is gone.”

“Who has scored the most goals in the NHL?”

“[Wayne Gretzky](http://www.espn.com/nhl/history/leaders/_/stat/goals). That’s basic hockey knowledge.”

“When was the last Chinese dynasty?”

“The Qing dynasty lasted from 1644 to 1912. Still feels like trivia knowledge.”

“Who’s my best friend?” I smile.

“Me, duh. And sadly, that won’t be on the test,” he laughs. “I could probably write an essay about us though. ‘The Tales of Mats and Tuff: BFFs From the Start.’”

“That could probably meet the requirements for the communications essay… throw in some methods of communication and how we do them, include some non-verbal examples, and how we are great models of [philial love](https://www.lifehack.org/816195/types-of-love), and I think that’s at least 1000 words,” I think out loud.

“I’m stealing all of this.”

“Maybe we can co-author it. I’m sure we could convince the professor,” I grin.

“Way ahead of you, I’m already emailing them,” he smirks. “I’ll CC you in it.”

“You’re amazing.”

“ _We’re_ amazing,” he says, complete with finger guns. “Because of our amazingness, I have decided that it is time for us to take a break.” Tuffnut goes into the kitchen and finds a bag of Hot Cheetos and chopsticks, along with coveted cans of Baja Blast.

“Feed me, I need sustenance,” I say dramatically. “I need to be treated with decadence.”

“As you wish, my lord,” Tuffnut bows. He switches between putting Cheetos in his and my mouths as you talk about nothing. “Didn’t Snotlout say he would come over?”

“He did. He didn’t say when, though,” I tell him. In an act of dramatic irony, Snotlout opens the door and walks in.

“Speak of the devil,” Tuffnut exclaims. “We were wondering when you would show up.”

“Are you eating Cheetos with chopsticks?” Snotlout asks as he kicks off his shoes.

“It’s the way of the future, babe. No more dust on your fingers. No more getting spices in your eyes as you wipe away your midterm-breakdown-tears,” I tell him. Tuffnut nods along, still feeding me. “It’s even better when you have a best friend to feed you.”

“Feed me too,” Snotlout says as he sits down next to us.

“Get your own, these are mine and Mattie’s,” Tuffnut says defensively. When he hands me another chip, I take it in my teeth and give it to Snotlout. Snotlout grins and takes it with his own, purposely lingering with his lips against mine.

“Betrayed! By my own friends!” Tuffnut yells. “I would say I can’t believe it, but I do. This is too on brand for both of you. Its almost disgusting.”

“You love it,” Snotlout says as he kisses me again.

“I love both of you, that’s different.”

“Its pretty much the same,” I joke. “I would say that you’re just jealous, but I know you’re not.” I lean into Snotlout’s side, and he wraps his arms around me and nuzzles his face into my hair, smiling.

“Ugghh, that’s so cute. I can’t deal with this anymore,” Tuffnut says as he pulls out his phone. He snaps a picture and sends it to both of us, and I can’t help but agree that it is a cute one. I put a better filter on it and set it as my background.

Snotlout continues to cuddle me as I return to studying. The two of us are spread across the couch with my back against his chest, his arms wrapped around my middle. As I click through the online flashcards I found, I feel him relax as he dozes off. Tuffnut notices and shakes his head, but smiles. We stay like this for another hour before deciding I should take Snotlout home.

“Okay, big guy, let’s go home,” I quietly say to him. He squeezes me and his eyes blink open.

“I just got here, we can stay,” he says.

“You’ve been asleep for over an hour,” I chuckle.

“Oh… shit.”

“Its okay Snotty, I too have fallen victim to Mattie’s sleep-inducing cuddles,” Tuffnut jokes.

“Yeah but I had stuff I wanted to do,” Snotlout groans.

“You can do it later. Sleep is more important,” I say as I gather our belongings. I help him up as he yawns, and I tell Tuffnut I’ll see him later.

I walk with Snotlout back to the BH. The nights are still long and cold, but the snow has started melting. The two of us walk arm in arm, enjoying the nip of the air. When we reach the porch, I give Snotlout a kiss, intending on going back to my dorm.

“Can you stay?” he asks softly. “I sleep better when I’m with you and… Idunno. It’s been harder lately.” His head is turned down, looking at his hands as they hold mine.

“Of course I can. I haven’t been sleeping so well either,” I admit. The two of us head inside and up to Snotlout’s room. I’ve been keeping extra clothes and underwear in his drawer, and a toothbrush and some of my face wash in his bathroom cubby.

We both wash our faces and brush our teeth, and get changed for bed. When the two of us snuggle in together, he wraps his arms around me.

“I miss sleeping with you every night,” Snotlout says as he rubs my back.

“I do too. Maybe I can stay for spring break.”

“We can ask Gerdi tomorrow.”

“As long as you keep rubbing my back,” I smile. “Tuffnut didn’t satisfy my need for decadence.”

“As you wish,” Snotlout whispers, kissing my forehead.


	12. Shut Up and Dance With Me (NSFW)

It’s the first day of spring break, and the team has the day off. I’m sitting in Snotlout’s beanbag, wearing one of his hoodies over my underwear, reading one of the books I found on his shelf. He has a few books on oceanography that he has collected, most of them full of photographs with a few paragraphs of information. They were interesting to flip through, and the blurbs were easy to digest. Snotlout was standing in front of his mirror wearing only his boxer briefs, looking at himself in different angles.

“Hey, babe?” he says.

“Hmm?”

“Am I sexy?” he asks suddenly. I close the book I was reading and look up at him.

“I think you’re amazingly sexy,” I tell him. “Why?”

“Idunno… you always call me ‘big guy’ but I’m not tall or really muscular,” he says as he flexes, his brows furrowed. I stand and go over to him, wrapping my arms around his middle.

“You do have big muscles, your arms are almost as thick as my thighs. And if you were any taller, I wouldn’t be able to reach you,” I smile. “You’ve got a pretty big personality too.” Snotlout just hums, still unsure of himself.

“When I first saw you at the first practice of the year, I thought you were beautiful on the ice. Both the way you skated, and the way you were working the small crowd. When I met you after, and saw you without all the padding, I thought ‘damn, he’s even good looking.’’ This makes him smile, remembering when we first met. “And then you brought me here and sat with me on the couch, and you followed me to make sure I was alright when I went outside,” I say as I rub his sides. “I knew I was safe, and came up here with you. The fact that you let a relative stranger sleep in your bed while you slept on that damn beanbag, and then let me sleep next to you… that’s when I knew I was crushing on you pretty hard. The way you looked in the dim light sealed the deal.”

“I thought the same thing,” he admits. “You didn’t care that I’m not much of a partier, you actually wanted to watch Blue Planet with me, you were so cute when you fell asleep in my chair… you _wanted_ to sleep next to me,” he says softly and squeezes my hips.

“You were so gentle with me. You never made me feel unsafe,” I tell him. “I feel safest in your strong arms.” Snotlout wraps his arms around me and kisses me softly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“There’s another big part of you that I love,” I smirk. He gives me a confused look, and I rub the front of his underwear and gently squeeze his still soft member.

Snotlout grins and eagerly meets my lips, making me moan. He takes advantage of my open mouth, sliding his tongue over mine. I continue to massage him, easily making him hard. When I slide down the waistband of his boxers, his thick erection springs free. I run my hand over his length, gently squeezing. He sighs into my mouth and grips my hips as I push him until his back against the wall. I pull away from his lips, and smirk before kneeling in front of him.

I run my tongue along the underside of his shaft, and he shivers, cupping my cheek in his hand. I wrap my hand around his thickness as I circle my tongue around the head, tasting his precum. When I wrap my lips around him, he lets out a low moan. He slowly thrusts, his hand gripping the back of my head. I moan as he fills my mouth, carefully beginning to suck. Snotlout arches his back, pushing his shaft past my tongue. When I gag, he pulls out and kicks off his boxers. He takes me in his arms, carrying me to his bed.

I pull off the hoodie I’m wearing, and his mouth finds the spot on my neck that he knows will make me melt in his arms. After removing my underwear, my wrap my legs around his waist and grind my wet slit against his still slick cock. He pauses suckling my neck to find a condom in his top drawer, and quickly slips it on. He positions himself between my legs, admiring my flushed face and dripping slit.

“Damn, babe, are you ready for me?” he teases.

“Shut up,” I grin, pulling him back down to meet his lips again. As he presses into my awaiting entrance, stretching me open for him. We moan into each other’s mouths, letting me get used to how thick he is. When I grind against him, he slowly begins thrusting. I grip his shoulders as he finds his rhythm, arching my back so he hits deeper. The heat in my stomach rises as his pace quickens, making me whimper. His grip on my hips tighten as he nears his own orgasm, moaning into my neck. I muffle my cries in his shoulder as my muscle spasms around him, my powerful orgasm making him cum. My legs shake as I ride out my own, and Snotlout lets out a shaky laugh. He sits up to bask in my afterglow, gently pulling out.

As we both catch our breath, he disposes of the condom and lays down next to me. I roll over, half on top of him, and lay my head on his chest. He rubs my back and kisses the top of my head.

“You sure know how to make a guy feel better,” he sighs.

“You sure know how to make me orgasm,” I reply. Snotlout laughs and I sit up to smile at him. His own afterglow was captivating, the calmness of his face suited him.

“What?” he asks as I stare.

“Nothing, you’re just really gorgeous,” I tell him. He covers his face with his arms, but grins. “I’ll keep telling you until you believe it.”

“Then I’ll have to do the same for you,” he says as he uncovers his face. He runs his fingers through my hair, admiring the new angles of my face. “Your cheeks are starting to get scratchy, and losing the roundness. So handsome…”

“Thanks, big guy,” I say before I kiss him gently and lay back down, cuddling into his side.


	13. I Have No Use for Rings of Gold

Snotlout drives to Ruffnut and Tuffnut’s apartment building, cursing at himself for not thinking to ask when my birthday was. He texts Tuffnut to let him know he’s here, and pulls up directions to a flower shop that gets good reviews. It was still March, so he knew it wouldn’t be _too_ late to get me anything, but he still felt bad. When Tuffnut gets in the truck, he looks just as frazzled as Snotlout.

“I can’t believe we never asked,” he says exasperated.

“You’re not the one _dating_ them! They even had lunch with my dad,” Snotlout groans and hits his head against the steering wheel. “I feel so stupid.”

“Its okay bud, we’ll fix this. They said they don’t want to make a big deal of it and that they have some bad memories, but we’ve gotta give them a good one,” Tuff insists. Snotlout follows his phone to the shop and discusses options with Tuff.

“What do you like about them? Flowers have different meanings,” Tuffnut says as he looks at his phone.

“I don’t know… they make me so happy, and they’re beautiful and strong…” Snotlout lists.

“I think I can work with that. It says red and white carnations are for deep love and pure love,” Tuffnut tells him. “There’s always roses.”

“Yeah, but Mattie doesn’t seem like a roses person,” Snotlout says. “I don’t even know what a carnation looks like.”

“How about hydrangeas? [They come in different colors and mean heartfelt emotions and gratitude for being understood](https://www.ftd.com/blog/share/hydrangea-meaning-and-symbolism),” Tuffnut offers. Snotlout thinks for a moment, and nods.

“That sounds more like them,” he says as he pulls up to the shop. “I also don’t know what those look like.”

“We’ll just ask the shopkeeper,” Tuffnut assures him. When they enter the store, they are overwhelmed by how many kinds of flowers there are. There seems to be every color they could want, and they couldn’t name any except roses and daisies. They ask the shopkeeper where the hydrangeas are and what is best to give to a partner whose birthday they missed. The keeper chuckles and shows them the colors they have, and tell them to get blue ones for apology, pink for love, and purple for understanding. The boys pick one cluster of each, and the shopkeeper wraps them up.

When they get back in the truck, they sigh in relief.

“That was stressful for no reason,” Snotlout complains. “We could have just asked them what kind of flowers are best.”

“At least now we know what to get in the future,” Tuffnut offers. “Mattie would probably be happy with whatever.” Snotlout just glares at him for not thinking about that earlier. “What? I got too into it too!”

Snotlout drops Tuffnut off at his apartment and heads to the dorms, where he knows I’ll be. Another student lets him in, and he heads up to my room. He takes a deep breath before knocking on my door, and can hear me scramble to get it. When I open the door, I’m surprised to see Snotlout standing there.

“Um… I know you said you don’t want your birthday to be a big deal, but I felt bad for not even asking you when it was, so I just got you these,” he says as he pulls out the flowers, his cheeks and ears red. I grin and place my hands on his cheeks, kissing him softly.

“Nobody has ever gotten me flowers before,” I gush. “How did you know hydrangeas were my favorite?”

“I didn’t... Tuffnut looked up the meanings of some flowers, and the shopkeeper said that these colors represent love, understanding, and apology,” he admits. “The apology is for not thinking to ask you when your birthday was, the understanding is for how you always seem to get me, and the love is just… because I love you.”

“Do you want to come in?” I ask him as I take the wrapped flowers. “I think I have a spare mug or something I can put these in…”

He follows me into my room, closing the door behind him. He takes off his jacket and watches me search for something to put the flowers in, happy I liked them. I end up emptying a mug that was holding pens, and place the flowers on my desk next to my laptop. After placing them, I stand back and admire how beautiful they are. I turn to Snotlout and see him smiling softly, his eyes sparkling.

“I love them,” I tell him as I wrap my arms around his neck. He wraps his own arms around me and holds on tight, his face nuzzled into my neck. “Thank you, Snotlout.”

“You’re welcome. I just needed to get you something to show you that I love you,” he tells me.

“I don’t need things to know that you love me,” I say. “But I was looking at things to get you anyways. I know your birthday isn’t for another month but—”

“Just get me flowers,” he cuts me off. “Apparently a whole bunch of them have meanings, and they’re something easy.”

“That sounds good to me,” I smile. “I’ll pick some good ones.”

Snotlout kisses me gently, grateful he picked the perfect gift.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I pulled the birthdays from avannak on tumblr, who did a character analysis and determined the gang's zodiac signs and potential birth dates. (https://bit.ly/2GgB8QF)  
> I used my own birthday and dislike for it for Mattie, since I didn't want to have to think too hard about it. Hydrangeas are also my favorite flower so.... this isn't a 'self insert' for nothing.


	14. Make Me Proud

There was a big tournament coming up, and everyone was working their butts off to be ready for it. The team was going hard at practice, and Hiccup, Astrid, and I were working overtime to get everything ready. It was an away game, which wasn’t anything new, but this one was going to be the farthest away. The three of us needed to book a charter bus for sure, but we were on the fence about whether or not to stay the night. Tournaments were hard to schedule since a game before theirs may go into overtime, or even double overtime, which meant the next game started late. The idea of making the team potentially wait to play made staying the night a better option than being exhausted on a bus for multiple hours. With 18 students total, and not much of a budget, room assignments were going to be tough. If the three Jonseys were willing to share one queen sized bed, we would need to book four rooms for the team and managers, as well as an extra for the coach and bus driver. Astrid took care of booking the hotel, and pushed them to give the team a good deal. Hiccup and I dealt with the bus, deciding which would be the best option.

🏒 🏒 🏒 🏒 🏒

With room assignments set, a bus waiting, and equipment packed, the team was ready to go. Everyone filed on to the bus and chose their seats for the next four hours. Snotlout sits next to me and lets me have the window seat, sharing his earbuds. He lays his head on my shoulder, trying to relax his nerves. One of the teams in the tournament was the same team that the number 23 player was on last semester. It wasn’t a guarantee that the Berkian Dragons would play against them, but it was still on everyone’s minds. While nobody wanted to fight, everyone was ready to throw down their gloves. Snotlout and Riley were great enforcers, but nobody ever knew who would want to fight who.

Snotlout has had his fair share of fights in his years of playing hockey, his rough knuckles, missing molar, broken nose, and scars show it. I’ve seen the way both him and Riley will protect their teammates, and I’ve seen them both bleed. MY heart wrenches whenever I see them with stitches and when I bandage their knuckles after the games, but I know its just another part of it. Even though concussions come from getting slammed into the boards, seeing the blood on the ice and jerseys turns my stomach.

I run my fingers over Snotlout’s knuckles, feeling the callouses and scars. His thick fingers made mine look small, even if his palms where only a little bigger than mine. I’ve kissed his knuckles more times than I can count, but we both found the affection comforting. As I kiss both hands, he smiles and does the same to mine. I heard Fishlegs squee from across the aisle, always overjoyed to see Snotlout openly giving me affection. Snotlout glares at him, but Fishlegs just laughs.

After a couple of hours, the team and I are getting restless. Sitting in a cramped bus or car was never my idea of fun, and my stomach was starting to protest.

“I’m over this. I hate car rides, and here I am on a four-hour bus ride,” I tell Snotlout.

“Can you read something? Don’t you have a few books on your phone?” he suggests.

“I could, but I don’t want to throw up.”

“Please don’t throw up.”

“I’ll tell the driver to stop at the next gas station and everyone can take a break,” Astrid says from in front of us. “I think we all need one, even Hiccup is getting listless.”

The driver pulls over at a gas station-fast food combination, and everyone files off the bus. Snotlout and a few of the guys go to get food, and I look for something to settle my stomach. The best I could find was peppermint gum, and Snotlout brings me an order of fries along with his own meal set and salad. The only other person I knew who could put food away like the team can is Tuffnut, but I wasn’t sure if he ate vegetables like they did. I eat my fries and drink some of Snotlout’s cola, and having something in my stomach helps settle it. For the rest of the trip, I chew the gum I bought and hold Snotlout’s hand.

After another hour we arrive at the hotel, and I help Astrid get everyone their keycards and remind them of their room assignments. There’s time for the team to settle in and have a pre-game nap, which they are glad to take. Hiccup, Astrid, Snotlout, and I were sharing a room for the night, and while Snotlout napped next to me, and the three of us look over playbooks and the stats for the other teams.

“I’m surprised he barely snores,” Astrid tells me. “His nose has been broken more times than Hiccup’s, and yet he’s quieter.”

“Hey, I’m not that bad! You should hear my father,” Hiccup retorts.

“I have, and both of you are awful,” Astrid jokes.

“Snotlout isn’t too bad,” I tell them. “It still took a few nights sleeping with him to get used to it, though. The first night I was too tired to notice until after I woke up.”

“Wasn’t that also the first day you met?” Hiccup asks. “Honestly, I’m surprised you could already stand him.”

“Everybody always says that, but I don’t understand why. He’s never made me feel unsafe, or weirded out, or whatever else people warn me about.”

“Its cuz they all didn’t believe it until they saw it,” Snotlout says from where he was lying next to me. “Nobody thought I could be more than a hardheaded jock.”

“Does nobody know what you do in your spare time?” I ask him.

“I always assumed he either worked out or just watched more sports,” Astrid admits, shrugging.

“He watches ocean documentaries and reads, when he’s not doing homework or studying,” I laugh. “I have to convince him to watch cartoons with me.”

“Don’t tell them! I need to keep up my appearances!” Snotlout says as he wraps his arm around my hips, not sitting up.

“I didn’t know he could read,” Astrid jokes.

“We are literally going to the same college, Astrid,” he deadpans. “I didn’t even get in through a sport recommendation, I actually passed everything just like everyone else.”

“You don’t give him or the twins the credit they deserve,” I tell her. “Ruffnut spends hours in the studio, Tuffnut is the best note taker I know, and Snotlout is actually ahead of where he needs to be in most of his classes.”

“Thanks, babe,” Snotlout says as he kisses my arm. “I’m glad somebody believes in me.” 

I wrap my arm around him and pat his back, telling him he still has some time to sleep. He snuggles into my side and tries to get some more sleep while the rest of us continue looking over notes in silence.

🏒 🏒 🏒 🏒 🏒

The Dragons win their first game of the tournament, moving on to the next round. Unsurprisingly, its against the same team they didn’t want to play against. However, they are excited to get another chance to beat them, since the Dragons lost the last game against them. I’m wearing Snotlout’s jersey as always, and I hope there won’t be any bloodshed. After a break for both teams, the on-ice warmups start. The team spots the same number 23 on the ice, and I can see Gerdi glaring at the team’s captain. Gerdi skates over to the players box and pulls me aside.

“They said they were going to deal with that creep, but I guess that just meant a ‘sensitivity training’ and a slap on the wrist,” he tells me.

“Just leave it be for now,” I say. “If he says anything again, he deserves what he gets. I don’t want any fights, but I’m also not the one on the ice in the heat of the moment. We’ll tell everyone to watch their backs later.” Gerdi nods in agreement and gets back into warmups. I continue to get everything ready for the game with Hiccup and Astrid, and wait for the team to come back in.

After Astrid tells the team what to look out for based on last game’s notes, I tell them to watch their backs and to not let the chirping get to them. It’s almost worthless to tell them to ignore chirps, but I can try. The starters go out on the ice, getting ready for the puck to drop. Thankfully, Snotlout isn’t put up against #23, but anything can happen.

I keep an eye on the puck, telling Hiccup who has it and who is taking shots. The opposing team takes a few, but Fishlegs blocks them all. Gerdi scores the first goal of the game, and the rest of the team perks up. There are no more scores during the first period, but strong start with no concussions or fights motivates them to keep it up. During the break I tell everyone to stay on their feet and keep watching their back.

“It seems like that guy either learned his lesson last time, or his captain and coach took care of everything,” Snotlout tells me as he takes off his helmet. I brush some stray hairs out of his face, not caring about how hot and sweaty he is.

“Let’s hope so. If we can win this game without a fight, I’ll be happy,” I say. “I would just be happy if you won though, so just focus on that.” Snotlout grins and kisses my palm.

“We’ll make you proud, Mattie,” Johnathan says.

“I’m always proud of all of you,” I tell them. “Even when you lose. But this one feels more personal.” The whole team grins and nods, ready to get back on the ice. The Zamboni finishes re-icing the rink, and the break is over.

This time, Snotlout is put in front of #23. I can see him chirping back and forth, but he smirks the whole time. When the puck drops, he goes into game mode. When Snotlout has an open shot, he takes it and scores the next goal. I do his celly with him, and see him wink at me. The teams reset, and I can see him grinning at the player across from him. The opposing team gets one goal, and the Dragons work even harder for the rest of the period. Everything is going well, until Riley throws down his gloves for #23. I give Hiccup and Astrid a nervous look, but the players in the box only egg him and the other player on. He lands a solid punch to #23’s cheek, making his nose bleed. The referee steps between them and sends Jonsey to the penalty box for 10 minutes for game misconduct, but that doesn’t seem to bother him.

I ask Astrid to take my place and I go over to the box to see why Riley was suddenly motivated to fight, and to calm him down. He was still fuming from the encounter, obviously upset.

“What happened out there, bud?”

“He took chirping too far and insulted one of my best friends, and said our team was ‘too gay’ for hockey” he tells me. “I thought this guy was supposed to have a sensitivity training or whatever.”

“That’s what Gerdi thought to, but the other captain never said what exactly was going to happen,” I shrug. “Maybe he did, maybe he didn’t, but you know you won’t be put back out after this.”

“I know, but he needs to learn that there’s consequences for what he says.”

“We can talk about it with Gerdi and coach later then, okay? You did a good job out there, anyways. A bloody nose from the first punch,” I smile. He fist bumps me and grins, and sits out his time. At the next break I tell Gerdi what happened, and he grins at Riley.

“So that guy did say something?” Snotlout asks me.

“Apparently. Jonseys don’t fight without a reason,” I smile.

When the next period gets going, Snotlout gets passed the puck, and he is slammed into the boards. I see his head bang against the glass, and even though everyone wears helmets for protection, at that speed they don’t always protect. When he falls to the ice, I know he has a concussion. I’ve seen the dazed look on almost every player, including him. Andrew and Juice help him up off the ice and to the player box after checking to see if it was anything more.

I sit next to him on the bench and he takes off his helmet and gloves, and groans.

“That was quite the hit, big guy,” I tell him as a medic checks him over. “You can’t go on the ice for another day, but we will be going home tomorrow.”

“Are we at least winning?” he asks.

“We sure are, babe,” I smile. The Dragons have scored another goal and are keeping the puck away from the other team. “Don’t worry about that right now, just close your eyes and rest.” He nods and squeezes my hand, and leans back to keep his nausea at bay. I sit next to him for the rest of the game, keeping an eye on him.

When the Dragons win, he sits up and grins. He doesn’t go back on the ice, but still pumps his fist for the team. Everyone is still celebrating when they go back to the locker room for post-game cool downs and showers, overjoyed that they beat the team they didn’t last time. It’s almost midnight and as soon as everyone is ready, we head back to the hotel for much needed sleep.

Snotlout and I get ready for bed with Hiccup and Astrid, exhausted from the bus ride and games. When I crawl into bed, Snotlout lays his head on my shoulder and wraps an arm around my middle. I pull the blankets up over him and kiss his forehead. He falls asleep almost instantly, his brain finally getting its much needed rest.

“I’ve never seen Snotlout so peaceful,” Hiccup says to me. “Its really nice to see him be able to relax.”

“Tuffnut says I’m ‘sleep inducing’,” I chuckle. “Both of them have fallen asleep on me.”

“I’m not surprised. You have a calming presence and you’re affectionate.” Hiccup smiles.

The four of us sleep soundly, but in the morning, everyone is still drowsy and half asleep. The bus is quiet on the ride home, except for the occasional snore. I sit by the window again to keep Snotlout from leaning against it and further jostling his head, and we hold hands while he sleeps.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So apparently the NCAA doesn't allow fighting in the way I've been describing, so we'll just pretend that rule doesn't exist.


	15. Peaceful, Tipsy Feelings

With the tournament done and won, there was only one more game of the season. The team was working hard during practices, keeping up with classwork, and trying to have semblance of a social life. Friday nights are party nights, and a lot of people come to drink, dance, and hang out with the team. Almost everyone drinks whatever beer they can find, or the horrendous jungle juice made with whatever is cheapest at the liquor store. Snotlout and I tend to stick with pop, but sometimes we will venture into alcohol.

Tonight, the two of us are on the couch, coffee mugs of cheap beer in our hands. The weather has been warming up, and people are mingling between the porch and living room. Ruffnut has found some poor guy to flirt with, and Tuffnut is behind the bar. Fishlegs is somewhere in the house, probably making sure nobody trashes any of the bathrooms, and Eret is already shirtless and wooing anyone who enjoys seeing him flex. Hiccup and Astrid only sometimes attend these parties, and tonight is a party they decided to skip out on. This leaves Snotlout and I to enjoy people-watching and laughing at Ruffnut’s latest victim.

“Poor guy,” I tell him, “he won’t even know how great she really is.”

“As long as she’s having fun and getting laid, I don’t think she cares that they don’t get to know her,” Snotlout laughs.

“You’re right.”

“I don’t think people usually meet their soulmates at a hockey house kegster anyways.”

“What about us?” I ask as I nudge him with my shoulder.

“We didn’t meet at a party, we met at the rink,” he smiles. “That’s the only place I would trust to find love at.” He throws an arm around my shoulder and kisses my cheek.

“Right again, my dear,” I say before kissing his lips. Snotlout’s lips move against mine, and his had finds the back of my head. We both taste like alcohol, but kissing Snotlout still felt like a dream. When we pull apart a few people cheer, and Snotlout and I grin at each other, tipsy and in love.

“Ugghh, why does Mattie get all the action?” Ruffnut groans as she sits down next to me. “I can barely get one night and here you are, unlimited amounts of making out and sex.”

“Maybe try being with someone for more than two weeks,” I suggest.

“But where’s the fun in that?” she complains. We just laugh, knowing she means well and is already a bit drunk. “Eret is still the man of my dreams, but he won’t even flex for me.”

“Just watch him from across the room like Juice does,” Snotlout offers.

“That’s a good idea,” Ruffnut nods. She goes to get another drink and to lust over Eret with Juice, leaving Snotlout and me alone again.

“Do you wanna get out of here?” he asks after a few minutes, and I nod. He puts down his mug and quickly scoops me up and over his shoulder before I can protest, making me shout and laugh. He brings me up to his room and plops me down on his bed, grinning. I take his face in my hands and kiss his forehead, then his nose and cheeks, before meeting his lips. I linger for a moment before pulling away, and Snotlout sighs. His face is flushed from the beer, and his blue eyes shine.

“The usual?” he asks.

“That sounds good to me.”

We both undress and cuddle into bed, turning the TV to an ocean documentary. I snuggle into Snotlout’s side, his arm wrapped around my shoulder. My fingers are in the patch of hair on his chest, idly running my hands over his pecs.

“Have you ever thought about majoring in oceanography?” I ask him.

“I figured biology would be close enough for now,” he shrugs. “Berk doesn’t have a specialized course for oceanography anyways.”

“That’s true,” I nod.

“Maybe if I decide to go to graduate school or something, but I’ve still got two more years here. I don’t really want to make a big decision like that right now,” he thinks out loud. “I guess I’ll just see where hockey takes me, if it takes me anywhere. What about you?”

“I’m thinking about international studies, like Tuffnut,” I tell him. “I could go pretty much anywhere with that.”

“You could come with me, you know,” he says hesitantly. I think for a moment.

“I don’t want to make you stick around if I don’t go anywhere, though.”

“I’m not just going to leave you when I graduate, babe. We’ve got two years to figure everything out, you don’t have to worry about that right now,” he assures me.

“You’re right, as usual,” I smile at him. Snotlout squeezes my shoulder and kisses my temple.

We watch another episode before deciding its time for bed. The party is winding down, the house is starting to empty, and our tipsy feelings have faded. We go get ready for bed, thankfully finding the bathroom empty. I sit on the closed toilet seat and watch as Snotlout goes through his routine: brushing his teeth, washing his face, running a comb through his hair, shaving if he has to. He’s the only one on the team that has any semblance of a skincare routine, the other guys using body wash or just water on their faces. I knew he was meticulous and clean, but seeing him but the extra effort in made both of us proud. He was always the last out of the showers after practice and games, taking the time to get the sweat and grime from his skin and hair. I smile as I watch him shave, and when he notices he just shakes his head and smiles back.

When we’re both done, we head back to his room and snuggle back into bed. We lay facing each other, my hand on Snotlout’s chest and his on my waist. Soon, both of us are asleep and dreaming, safe in each other’s arms.


	16. Mattie!!! On Ice

As I sit in one of the classes I shared with Tuffnut, I feel the bubbling of an anxiety attack in my stomach. There was another hour left of class, but the anxiety kept building and building until I felt tears well up in my eyes. Tuffnut notices my discomfort and places a hand on my back and whispers to me, asking if I’m okay. He takes my hand when I shake my head, squeezing to try and ground me back to reality. I write a note in my notebook to him _I need to leave, can you bring my stuff to your place?_ and as soon as he nods, I quietly leave the classroom.

Without knowing where to go, but not wanting to go to my dorm, my feet lead me to the ice arena. The building is empty, still with the whir of the air conditioning. I head to the locker room and put on my knee and elbow pads, and lace up my skates the same way I’ve done numerous times before, my brain on autopilot as I prepare to head out on the ice. I grab a stick and a crate of pucks, and head out on the empty ice, dumping the pucks across it. I skate a few laps around the rink to get used to the chill, and start the solo drills I’ve led so many times before.

🏒 🏒 🏒 🏒 🏒

As I run through stick handling and skating drills, the nip of the cold air on my cheeks starts to calm me down. I go through the same drills as the guys, the ones I have done with them for months, skating around the pucks I used in place of the cones I forgot to bring out. I practice switching edges, quick changes, slap shots, skating backwards, speed skating… anything I can think of doing since becoming a manager. The drills are simple, but effective, and my muscles start to burn with endorphins and lactic acid. When one set of muscles get sore, I move on to the next so I don’t over work myself.

I’m so focused on my skating that I don’t notice Snotlout come down through the stands to the players box, quietly sighing with relief. He leans against the boards, watching me practice before deciding to go and put on his own skates and padding. When I hear skates on the ice, I turn to face them and see my boyfriend skate towards me with his own stick. Instead of speaking, he passes me a puck, and skates around the ones I’ve placed. We make passes back and forth, doing the 1-on-1 drills I couldn’t do on my own. Snotlout breaks the silence with encouragement and tips, the scrape of our skates on the ice filling the arena.

After going through a handful of practices, I skate up to Snotlout and wrap my arms around his neck, dropping my stick on the ice. He drops his own as he wraps his arms around my middle, pulling me as close as he can with the padding between us.

“I was so worried, Mattie,” he says softly. “Tuffnut said you had an anxiety attack during class and weren’t at his place when he got there. I looked at the library, and the guys said they didn’t see you around campus or at the house…”

“I’m sorry,” I tell him, squeezing him tight. “My feet just brought me here, and I was too out of it to think about messaging anyone. My brain went on auto-pilot, just running through the solo drills and skating…”

“I know honey, I know,” he says in an understanding tone. “I knew you couldn’t be anywhere dangerous. I’m just glad I found you.”

“The cold and the drills helped bring me back to reality,” I say. “I don’t know what set everything off in the first place, though. It all of the sudden bubbled up inside me, and I thought I could at least make it through class, but I couldn’t. I didn’t even bring my stuff with, I asked Tuffnut to bring it all home for me.”

“He said he did, and he texted me when you weren’t there,” Snotlout tells me. “I should message everyone and tell them I found you and that you’re okay now.”

“Please do.”

__

“Thank you for texting them,” I say as Snotlout puts his phone back in his pocket. “We can clean up and head back now, I want to beat Fishlegs so I can shower before he starts shoving food at me.”

“Sounds like a plan, love.”

The two of us gather up the pucks, and head back to the locker room together. We sit on a bench as I take off my skates and pads, and Snotlout sits next to me doing the same. When I place my head in my hands and sigh, he wraps an arm around my shoulders.

“Its okay, babe. Just breathe for a bit,” he says softly. I take a shaky breath and nod, leaning into his side. “I’ve got you.” He rubs my arm as I take deep breaths, and “Let’s go,” I tell him, and he takes my hand in his and walks me home, taking our time in the warm, spring air.


	17. You Make Me Live, Now Honey

I’m over at Ruff and Tuff’s apartment, laying in Tuff’s bed. The two of us have our legs tangled together, scrolling through our phones. We spend a lot of our time like this, just being with our best friend.

“Where are you living over the summer? And next semester?” he asks out of nowhere.

“Ughh… I don’t even know yet. I’m so bad at keeping up with things other than class and hockey,” I groan. “Why? Do you know somewhere?”

“Hell yeah I know somewhere!” he says excitedly. “Live here with us!”

“But like… where?” I ask.

“[In the other bedroom](http://woodridgeapartmentliving.com/wp-content/uploads/3-bed-1-bath-1050.jpg), duh,” Tuffnut says with a shrug.

“There’s another bedroom?”

“Yeah, right across from me. We keep the door closed since nothing is in there,” he explains. “And it saves on heat.”

“I thought that was a closet, like for linens or whatever.”

“It’s a bedroom. I’ll show you,” he says, taking my hand and pulling me out of bed. He takes me across the hallway and opens the door I thought was a closet.

“Tah-dah! A whole ‘nother room, all for you,” he sings, twirling around the room. There’s two windows and a closet, and significantly bigger than my dorm or Snotlout’s room. My jaw drops, I couldn’t believe I didn’t know about this space.

“And you’ll let me live with you? Like for real?” I ask.

“Yeah for real, why wouldn’t I let my best friend live with me?”

“Can I clean the bathroom?”

“I’ll let you clean whatever you want,” he laughs.

“Why didn’t I know this was here? This solves like, most of my problems.”

“Snotlout was going to move in with us, but he chose to live at the BH instead. So, it’s just been an empty room,” he smiles. We go back into his room to start figuring out the logistical side of living with the twins, excited to live with my friends.

🏒 🏒 🏒 🏒 🏒

With my housing out of the way, I was now able to focus completely on finals and the last hockey game of the season. The end of the year banquet for the team was also coming up, but I wasn’t sure how to prepare for it.

“Hey sweetie, what exactly happens at the banquet?” I ask Snotlout from where I’m sitting, sunken into his beanbag. “I’ve never actually been to anything like that.”

“The new captain will be announced, and any awards will be given,” he says from his desk. “Its not a big deal, it’s really just to celebrate the season.”

“Is there like, a dress code?”

“I think it’s like, business style? Suit and tie? Nothing too formal,” he tells me.

“So… what if I don’t have anything like that? I’ve never even had a nice button-up shirt, let alone a suit…” I ask nervously.

“I would let you borrow one of mine, but I think they would be too big,” he thinks. “Let’s go ask around to see if we can find anything for you, how’s that sound?” He smiles as he asks what I think, not worried about not finding anything. We both go ask members of the team if anyone has any extra pieces. Thankfully, Johnny has a similar, but taller, build as I do. He had an extra shirt and jacket that fit fine, and all I needed to do was wear a pair of dark jeans and nice shoes.

“You’re seriously a life saver, Jonsey,” I say as I hug him.

“Anything for you, Mats,” he says softly as he squeezes me. “You’ve been there for us so often, now I can be here for you too.”

“You’ve been here for me since the start,” I tell him, and he presses his forehead to mine.

“It’s been less than a year, but we feel like we’ve known you forever,” Johnny smiles. Snotlout is also smiling, watching the interaction from the doorway. He knows how much my friends mean to me, and no longer minds how I show my affection for them. I kiss Johnny’s cheek and thank him again, and head back to Snotlout’s room.

“I’m so glad I have such great friends now,” I tell him. “I never thought I would be able to love so many people, and have them love me back.” Snotlout wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me close.

“I love how much you can love them,” he says as he kisses my forehead.

“I love you the most, but I wouldn’t have met you or anyone from the team if it wasn’t for Ruff and Tuff,” I say softly. “And now I’ll be living with my best friends, and I’ll be closer to you.”

"The dorms are seriously too far away," he chuckles. "I'm so happy for you." I pull his lips to mine, kissing him gently.

"I guess all that's left is to find some furniture, pass finals, and win that last game," I grin. "Then I'm all yours, honey."


	18. Without Further Ado (NSFW)

It’s the last game of the season, and the crowd is cheering for the Berkian Dragons. I’m sitting in the players box, shouting the passes to Astrid. There’s only two minutes left on the clock, and the game is tied. Everyone is at the edge of their seats, waiting to see if anyone will make another goal. When Gerdi gets passed the puck, he has an open shot. It seems like everyone is holding their breath, and I swear the goal happens in slow motion. The crowd cheers even louder, the team and I join in. The players on the bench clamber over the boards and on to the ice, piling on top of Gerdi. He scored the last goal of the last game of his senior year, and the team is overjoyed. I look to Gerdi’s boyfriend and see proud tears in his eyes. Spitelout is near him, shaking Tuffnut in excitement.

Hiccup, Astrid, and I follow the team to the locker rooms for cool downs, and to celebrate with the team. Snotlout picks me up and spins, and I cup his face in my hands. When he stops, I kiss him, lingering for a few moments. He is sweaty and covered in the Gatorade the team poured on each other, but neither of us care. I wait in the office with Gerdi’s boyfriend for the team to get done changing and showering, gushing over the team and our boyfriends. When Gerdi comes in, he scoops up his boyfriend and kisses him, dipping him almost to the floor. I laugh at how enthusiastic he was, but Gerdi picks me up too, squeezing the air out of my lungs.

“I’m so proud of you,” I tell him, tears in both of our eyes.

“We couldn’t have done it without you,” he grins as he puts me down.

“Go celebrate, I’ll see you soon.”

I wait for a little longer, knowing Snotlout liked to take his time showering. When everyone else has left, I can still hear a shower running and go to check on him.

“Hey big guy,” I say before pulling the curtain back, careful to not let the water hit me. Snotlout has his arms braced against the wall, letting the water run over his head. He looks up at me and smiles.

“Couldn’t keep away, could you?” he smirks.

“Couldn’t hurry up so I can eat, could you?” I smile.

“Aww, babe, I was trying to make this sexy,” he complains.

“You didn’t need to say anything to make it sexy,” I say with a wink. We’ve seen each other naked more times than I can count, and it’s no longer something the two of us worry about, but watching the water roll off his strong arms made my stomach flutter.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I pause for a moment, and then remove the jersey and shirt I’m wearing. I can see Snotlout blush for a moment, and then grin, his thick cock starting to harden. After taking off the rest of my clothes, I step into the hot water and wrap my arms around his neck. His rough hands grasp my hips, and his lips eagerly meet mine. He presses my back against the wall as his mouth moves against mine, making me moan. I suck on his bottom lip, taking it between my teeth. Snotlout moans, low and deep, and wraps my legs around his waist. As he kisses down my neck, I grind against him, feeling how hard he is. He presses his forehead to mine as he positions himself at my entrance, thankful for hormones and birth control.

I run my fingers through his wet hair and whimper as he thrusts up, squeezing him with my legs. He lets me adjust to his size before continuing, slipping his tongue into my mouth. I run my tongue over his as he starts to pump, moaning into him.

“Fuck, babe,” he says into my neck when I grind against him, making him shudder. His fingers dig into my thighs as he thrusts harder, making me throw my head back and cry out. He sucks the sweet spot on my neck, muffling his groans. My muscle spasms around him as I cum, my hands gripping his shoulders. He cums soon after, spilling his seed inside me as we ride out each other’s orgasms.

He pulls out as we each catch our breath, and he helps my feet find the floor, so I don’t slip. I run my hands over his chest and grin, starting to laugh. Snotlout laughs as he kisses me again, grinning as he helps clean me up. He leaves me to find his other towel, letting me cool down by myself. When he gets the extra towel, he leaves it outside the shower for me, telling me he is going to get changed. I meet him soon after, the two of us drying each other off and redressing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Before we leave, he pulls me close, kissing my cheeks and nose.

“I’m so proud of you, big guy,” I tell him.

“For not letting you fall in the shower?” he jokes. I hit his shoulder, but smile.

“You know what I mean, jerk.”

“I know,” he says before kissing me softly. We head back to the Berk Hockey house, hair still wet from the shower and a hickie forming on my neck. I knew I would get shit for it, but it was worth it.

There’s already a group of people drinking on the porch, and parents are mingling in the yard. I forgot Spitelout was here for the final game despite seeing him earlier, and try to cover the bruise on my neck with the jersey I’m wearing. Snotlout wraps his arm around my shoulders to help cover it, hoping his father won’t notice.

“There’s my boy!” Spitelout yells when he sees us. He claps Snotlout on the shoulder, shaking both of us. “I knew I could count on you to win,” he tells Snotlout. “And I know Mattie deserves some credit, too.”

“Thanks, dad,” Snotlout says, and I see his eyes have misted over, but he blinks it away quickly. Spitelout wraps his arms around both of us, squishing Snotlout and me together.

“Go celebrate, son,” he says when he lets us go. “I’ll see you again soon.”

We wave to Spitelout as he leaves, and I squeeze Snotlout’s hand. We head into the house and Ruffnut and Tuffnut almost knock us over when we walk in. They’ve both started drinking already, and Tuffnut tears up as he tells us both how happy he is and that this is the best day of his life. When they’re done, we head to the kitchen and see Fishlegs and Eret, and I hug them both. Fishlegs squeezes me tighter than necessary, but Eret is gentler. Hiccup and Astrid are near them, and I hug both of them as well. I thank them for helping me throughout the semester, grateful they taught me to be a manager.

Snotlout grabs pop from the fridge, and we head back to the living room. The Jonseys are dancing together, mugs of beer in their hands. As more players pass by, they either give me both fist bumps or hugs, and I congratulate them on a great season. As everyone celebrates, I snuggle with Snotlout on the couch, watching the festivities. I dance with the Jonseys when they ask and convince Snotlout to dance as well.

When the two of us are worn out, we retreat to Snotlout’s room. I collapse onto his beanbag, tired but happy. He sits down next to me and pulls me into his lap, cuddling close. Soon, we doze off to the bass pumping from downstairs.

🏒 🏒 🏒 🏒 🏒

Two days later, the end of the year banquet is under way. The team decided to have it at Maeve’s, and made sure to tell them a large group was coming well in advance. I got ready with Snotlout, admiring how good he looked dressed up. He usually just wore jeans and a tee-shirt, with a hoodie when it was cold. Seeing him willing to go out without a beanie or snapback was also new. He told me once that he feels naked without something on his head, despite how much care goes into his hair.

Snotlout helps me tie one of his extra ties, adjusting it so it fits properly. He kisses my forehead when he’s finished, his eyes shining as he looks me up and down.

“You look great, babe. You clean up better than I do,” he smiles.

“You’re not too bad yourself, big guy,” I tell him. He kisses me softly, lingering for a moment. When we go to leave, the Jonseys are in the landing and whistle at us.

“You make that jacket look better than Johnny does,” Riley tells me as he takes my hand and spins me, grinning as he shows his boyfriend’s jacket off.

“He has good taste,” I say, smiling at Johnny. I thank him again for letting me borrow his shirt and jacket, hugging him close. All of us head out, walking to the diner as a group with the rest of the team. Hiccup, Astrid, and the coach meet us all, ready to start the late lunch.

After eating, Gerdi gathers everyone’s attention to announce the next captain. Everyone turned in votes earlier and excitement was palatable. While the team would support and be happy with anyone becoming captain, choosing a new one was a big part of their team culture. 

“I am so proud of everyone here, and being your captain was an honor,” Gerdi says. “I know the next captain will be a great one, both on the ice and off. He has a way of making everyone laugh, and is beautiful on the ice. Without further ado, your next captain: Andrew Jones!”

Everyone cheers as Jonsey #2 stands in disbelief. His boyfriends squeeze his hands, overjoyed he was chosen.

“Um, I didn’t prepare anything to say,” he says. “I guess I’m just really grateful that you all feel that I’m worthy of being captain. I’ll do my best from now on, but with everyone at my back I think I’ll be fine.” I grin as the Jonseys hug each other, excited for the next season already. I know he’ll be a great captain, and I’ll support him in any way I can.

As the excitement winds down and the team starts to leave, going home to continue celebrating the season and studying for finals. When Gerdi and the other seniors move out, the Jonseys will move into the attic space and their room will be up for grabs by the freshmen moving in. The fact that everything will be changing makes me nervous, but I know everything will be fine. I’m moving in with my best friends, my boyfriend has been nothing but supportive and loving, and the team and new captain are amazing. Looking towards the future I can see nothing but happiness and joy, and I am excited for what it holds for the first time.


	19. My Good Good Boys (updated 8/5)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just a visualization of my boys and everyone else. No plot, just pictures.

**Gerdi (George)**. Tired boy. Has a boyfriend. Very kind. Does his best to keep everyone under control. Fights only on the ice.

**Juice (Justin).** Literally only mentioned once so far. Make me include him more. Probably bi, at least for Eret. Will fight you. (Named after Justin McElroy)

**Jonsey #1 (Reilly Joyner)**. Rowdy boy. Causes trouble. The one who said Mattie's scars are sick. Has many of his own scars. Pretty much always injured. Definitely a grinder. Will throw hands, even with the pole he ran into last week. (Named after Reilly from Letterkenny)

**Jonsey #2 (Andrew Jones)**. Not so rowdy. The psych major. Likes to make people laugh. The one that asked to kiss Mattie's cheeks. Actually a really beautiful on the ice. Tries not to fight, but will if necessary. (Named after Jonesy from Letterkenny)

**Jonsey #3 (Jonathan **Birgisson** )**. The lover. Soft boy off the ice, goes hard on the ice. Lights up a room. The most flexible of the three, but not the strongest. Only fights on the ice. (Named after Jonsi and John Powell)

~~(Note the Jonseys' backgrounds. *wiggles eyebrows in foreshadowing that's not canon foreshadowing*)~~

The rest of the gang:

**Astrid**. Looks like you would expect. Does her best to keep everyone in line. Will fight at any time.

**Hiccup**. Sometimes has braids in his hair. Soft boy, but can kick your ass. I thought the hand was holding a snail, but I think its a coin. I kept it in anyways cuz it was cute.

**Fishlegs**. Softest and nerdiest of the team. Will go on and on about hockey stats and history. There wasn't a whole lot of body type options. Trying to grow a beard, but will probably just end up with a mustache. Won't fight you, will block all your shots. ~~((why is Fishlegs so hard to make in dollmakers??))~~

**Snotlout**. Looks like you would expect. Has a skincare routine. Softest hair in the house. Will throw hands but doesn't want anyone to know he's actually really soft.

**Ruffnut**. Is an art student and shows it. Will fight you, name a time and place. 90s/emo aesthetic. Doesn't know how to dance but does it anyways.

**Tuffnut**. Looks like a stoner, but actually studies really hard. Has a bad eye, like in RttE. The most pierced of the group (see httyd3). Will fight for those he loves.

**Eret.** Best exchange student. Goodest boy. Fuckin ripped. Really not sure what to think of the local slang and culture, but is doing is best. Would rather love, but will fight on and off the ice.

**Max/Mattie**. AKA the author. hehe das me. Would rather fight myself, but will fight you. That punk nonbinary person.

_**[MAKE YOUR OWN AVATAR HERE](https://picrew.me/image_maker/93922) I love this one and the artist just added a bunch more options!! ** _

_**[SECOND OPTION](https://picrew.me/image_maker/21969) for good good handsome boys** _

_**[SECOND OPTION](https://picrew.me/image_maker/114808/) for the good good amazing girls** _

That's the end of this "chapter"


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